Barcelona keen on unsettled Chelsea star

Barcelona are monitoring Chelsea midfielder Juan Mata ahead of a possible January swoop, according to reports from Mundo Deportivo.

The Spaniard’s future with the Blues is far from certain, with new boss Jose Mourinho believed to be unconvinced by his abilities.


Despite being voted as the club’s player of the season for 2012/13, ‘The Special One’ has only opted to start the playmaker in one of the Londoners’ four games of the current campaign.

Although he has said publicly that he is willing to stay and fight the likes of Eden Hazard, Oscar, Willian and Kevin De Bruyne for a starting berth, privately Mata is thought to be considering his options.

This has alerted Barca, who could be willing to offer him an escape route ahead of the 2014 World Cup.
The likes of Arsenal, Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain were rumoured to have made deadline day moves for Mata, and could return with fresh offers next year if the situation worsens.

However, a return to Spain may be favoured by the 25-year-old, who signed for Chelsea from Valencia during 2011.

Barca’s willingness to move for his signature depends on their defensive situation, with the need for investment dependent on potential fitness issues.