Some interesting comments from Juan Mata about joining United and next. Many so called pundits have started to come out and say that without Champions League football that United will struggle to attract the best players this summer.
I don’t buy that. With United’s financial strength and recent success, players will be attracted to United if they are convinced that this was just a one season dip. The singing of Mata in January showed that that top players are still attracted by playing at Old Trafford:
“When I was in my situation at Chelsea, not playing, everyone I spoke with in football said, ‘Yeah, maybe Manchester United aren’t at their best this season – but it’s still Manchester United!’
“It’s not a team that’s just played one season in the Champions League and you’re going to a club that’s not top level. No, this will always be a top level club, one of the biggest in the world.
“So if you don’t play Champions League one season, you’ll play in it the next year, or you will still win trophies, because it’s what the club is about.
“I have no doubt about it. When I joined, in all my conversations with the board and the manager about next season, they were confident about getting the right players.
“They know, and I know, we’re in a transitional moment, but in the summer they’re going to try to sign a few players and I have the faith they are going to bring top players in.
“I’m sure this club is going to come back and fight for every trophy. Since I was a kid, Manchester United was fighting for everything, and this moment is going to come back for sure.
When Mata left Chelsea for United in January, he must have been convinced that United were not going to repeat last summer’s transfer disaster and have already lined up agreements for some top players this summer.
Rumors out of Manchester say that United have already agreed deals with Southampton for England left back Luke Shaw and Sporting Lisbon midfielder William Carvalho.
