Chelsea: 5 Reasons Selling Juan Mata To Man Utd Is A Terrible Deal

4. Makes Chelsea Look The Smaller Club

Remember when Robin van Persie moved from Arsenal to United and everyone took it as proof of the Gunners' decline, unable to hold onto their top players when a bigger domestic rival came calling? Chelsea may point out that since Mata hasn't been a regular starter in Chelsea's first team this season, the situation is very different. After all, how can be one of our top players if he isn't even playing? That's partly true, but ignores one crucial factor: United didn't sell Wayne Rooney. Chelsea were aggressive in their pursuit of the England striker last summer, tabling at least two bids and with both Mourinho and the player expressing an eagerness for the move to happen. Nevertheless, United held firm and assured fans they would never sell to a team in the same league as them. It was an essential reminder that though the club was going through a period of instability, they weren't about to start shipping out their top talent. They were still Manchester United, and weren't going to crack under a little pressure. Mata may not be in Chelsea's first team, but has been their best player by some distance since his arrival in 2011 and is held in great affection by the fans and players. There was talk of him being the heir apparent to the legendary Gianfranco Zola, not only due to the grace of his football but his humble and good-natured demeanour. In other words, an important figure at the club whether on the field or not. Zola didn't play regularly during his final years, but there still would have been uproar if he'd been sold to a rival English club. Chelsea have backed down where United would not, without even securing the concession of Rooney (despite him being a lesser player in every respect) moving in the other direction. Mourinho may present this under his blanket excuse of no player being bigger than the club, but if that were true, we'd have done the right thing for the club by holding onto Mata until the summer or selling him abroad. United have not just secured a phenomenal player, they've taken a huge morale boost by picking up an important figure from a rival club to whom they refused to sell, reassuring their fans that Old Trafford remains the most attractive place for the big names to play in the Premier League.