Manchester United star offered contract worth over $288,000-a-week in shock move | OneFootball

According to the latest edition of Ian McGarry and Duncan Castles’ Transfer Window Podcast, Manchester United’s Juan Mata has a ‘very, very lucrative’ offer on the table from a Saudi Arabian side.

Journalist McGarry describes this is as a ‘shock move’, in which the playmaker is being offered $15m net per year from an unnamed Saudi Arabian side. It’s even added that the massive salary would be tax-free.

Whilst it’s stressed that the Red Devils themselves aren’t in transfer talks at this moment in time, Mata’s father – who also acts as his agent – is reportedly ‘confident’ that the 32-year-old will be allowed to leave on a free transfer.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side triggered an option to extend the attacking midfielder’s contract by a further year this summer.

United signed the Spaniard from rivals Chelsea in January 2014 for a fee of £37.1m, as per BBC Sport.

Here’s what McGarry had to say on the potential deal:

“We are going to start at Old Trafford with a shock move for a fan favourite in Juan Mata, who has been offered a very, very lucrative deal to move from Manchester to Saudi Arabia.”

“It’s our information that Mata has an offer worth around $15million net per year to go and play in the Saudi Arabian league.”

“It’s not the case at this moment in time that Manchester United have entered negotiations, we can’t disclose the name of the club at this moment in time.”

“But we are certain that the offer is there, his father, who is his agent, is confident that Manchester United would release Mata on freedom of contract after he had his contract extended by the optional year in his current deal over the summer.”

McGarry also shed some light on what Mata’s current stance may be and hinted at how difficult it would be to reject an offer like this:

“Mata himself has yet to commit; however, at those kind of numbers you’d have to think that he would be tempted.”

“It certainly is the case that Saudi Arabia is desperate to promote itself as a footballing nation as we know, as well as being a place where players can earn an extremely high amounts of money and of course it would be tax free.”

Mata, who has been a model professional and real role model during his six-and-a-half-years with the Manchester outfit, has started to play a less important role on the pitch over the last couple of seasons.

Mata started 25 of his 37 appearances last season and 21 of his 32 in 18/19, the Spain international has been firmly phased out as Bruno Fernandes starts in the No.10 role and wonderkid Mason Greenwood is starting to make the right-winger spot his own.

The veteran has started in both of United’s Carabao Cup ties this season, chipping in with a goal in the first against Luton and then a goal and assist against Brighton.

Mata has clearly shown that he’s still got superb technical ability, unfortunately the ace hasn’t had the chance to show this when being called on in important first-team games as he was being deployed on the wing – where his lack of pace made things difficult.

This will be an incredibly hard offer for Mata to turn down, with the way he’s handled himself during one of United’s most difficult periods ever, the ace really does deserve to walk free if he wishes.