Manchester United: Mata wants a longer deal

Midfield maestro Juan Mata is determined to stay at Manchester Untied, but contract talks are being slowed down by his desire for a longer-term deal, according to the Sun.

Mata turns 30 next April and wants at least a three-year extension to his present deal which runs out in 2018, while the Red Devils are believed to be willing to further his stay by another year.

“He sees his future here, and he is determined to stay.” a Red Devil source told The Sun, “He hasn’t got long left but the option on his contract will almost certainly be taken up.

“The club don’t want him to leave on a free next summer. He is represented by his dad and has been pushing for a longer-term deal.”

Mata is currently one of the club’s top earners with £170,000 a week, but reports reveal he rejected the chance to triple his wages when an unnamed Chinese Super League club enquired about him last month.

Mourinho sold Mata to United for £37 million in 2014 with the Portuguese following in the player’s footsteps two years later. The Spaniard has found his time on the pitch limited as he has not clocked the full 90-minutes this season, but despite this, he insists he is well settled at Manchester. 

Mata contributed with a goal in United’s 4-0 victory over Crystal Palace before the international break, but remained an unused substitute against Liverpool on Saturday.