The tricky Spaniard may not fit into the footballing version of the 'Holy Trinity' in Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and James Rodriguez, but Real Madrid chiefs know that they surely missed out on a sizeable chunk of cash for the playmaker at the very least. With 34 caps to his name, one would suspect that he could play some sort of role at the Bernabeu - after all, he's a far superior talent than Isco. Having been plucked from the youth academy of Real Oviedo in 2003 at the age of 15, he progressed through the ranks, before becoming one of the Real Madrid B team's key performers, notching ten goals during his lone season with the side. Instead of spending time on furthering his progress and honing his talents however, the powers that be almost instantaneously cashed in. Having inserted a release clause in his contract, the diminutive attacker put pen to paper on a long-term contract at Spanish rivals Valencia, before embarking on a sparkling career that would eventually culminate in a World Cup winner's medal and a club-record transfer to Manchester United. The evasive midfielder has established himself as one of the world's deadliest playmakers, possessing an arsenal of rich components, from dead-ball skills to a range of passing and elusive movement. Bale, Ronaldo and Rodriguez may have taken over the show, to such an extent that the Spaniard will have a new Argentine team-mate as a result, but for a period of three or four years, there was certainly a gap in the side for a player of the ilk and quality of Juan Mata.
Recent Journalism & New Media graduate. Insatiable thirst for all things football, and hopes to break into the field of sports journalism in the near future.
Have made a significantly insignificant playing career out of receiving several slaps around the head for not passing the ball.
