Back in 2014 when Juan Mata arrived in that fancy chopper he would not have imagined that he would go 3 years without reaching a Champions League semi final.
To make the matters worst for Mata, Jose Mourinho was named as the new Manchester United manager earlier this summer which has further put his Old Trafford future in doubt.
However, Goal.com are certain that Villarreal are ready to offer Mata an escape route from Manchester United which could see the little Spaniard play in Champions League once again.
The report suggests that Villarreal are looking at Mata as their marquee signing this summer after losing Roberto Soldado for rest of the year due to a knee injury.
However, Mata’s hefty salary of £140k-per-week is a big hurdle for the Yellow Submarines. Villarreal are not willing to match that figure and are instead looking to sign Mata on an initial season-long loan with an option to buy him next summer.
Villarreal will wait until their Champions League play-off result vs. AS Monaco before making an official move. Mata for his part was further embarrassed by Mourinho when he was substituted in the Community Shield game despite coming on as a second half substitute himself.
The 28-year-old is not likely to see much of game time at Old Trafford this season and the wise move for Mata would be to go back to his native land and get Champions League football rather than getting benched week-in-week-out.