Wednesday, February 24, 2021 at 3:59 PM• Chris Meijer

Manchester United and Juan Mata will part at the end of the season. The 32-year-old Spanish midfielder’s expiring contract includes an option for one more season, but the Red Devils want to save on the salary budget and will not reduce it. The Daily Mirror and the Manchester Evening News write that Mata’s departure has consequences for Donny van de Beek.

The Daily Mirror writes that Mata’s impending departure for Van de Beek another blow and a blessing in disguise will be. According to the English newspaper, Van de Beek gets along well with Mata, who helped him to find his place in Manchester on and off the field. “I am very happy with players like Juan, he is creative and a great passer. I think we are a good combination on the field, I am certainly happy to play with such a legend ”, said Van de Beek earlier this season.

At the same time, Mata Van de Beek named one earlier this season very clever player. “I love playing with him because he always finds the space on the field and understands the football that I love. He is always in the right position ”, the Spanish midfielder praised Van de Beek. Despite the fact that Van de Beek and Mata get along well, de emphasizes Daily Mirror that the the Dutch International will rise in the pecking order at Manchester United after the departure of the routine.

There the Manchester Evening News something else about it. “Van de Beek only benefits when Paul Pogba leaves. He is not going to play Bruno Fernandes from the starting line-up and Mata has become an extremely effective attacking midfielder ”, writes the Manchester newspaper. Incidentally, Mata is barely featured in manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s plans this season. The midfielder only played twelve games this season, eight of which as a basic player. In it he also played every now and then as a wing attacker. Van de Beek came into action almost twice as often: in 26 official matches.

Mata has been under contract with Manchester United since January 2014, which took him over from Chelsea for almost 45 million euros at the time. The 41-time Spanish international, who previously played for Valencia and Real Madrid, played a total of 267 games the Red Devils, in which he accounted for 50 goals and 47 assists. With Manchester United, he seized the Europa League, the FA Cup and the EFL Cup. Mata may be within the lines on Thursday evening during the return of the sixteenth final of the Europa League against Real Sociedad, which was already beaten 1-4 last week. Solskjaer announced on Wednesday at the press conference in the run-up to that game that Van de Beek will not be present due to a muscle injury.