Juan Mata has revealed that he stays informed when it comes to his former club Manchester United.
The Spaniard can sense the feeling of excitement surrounding some of United’s young talents such as Alejandro Garnacho, Kobbie Mainoo and new signing Rasmus Hojlund.
Mata explains that he speaks regularly with club captain Bruno Fernandes since leaving Old Trafford in 2022. He was already aware of Garnacho’s promise by that point, but he has been pleasantly surprised by the emergence of Mainoo in midfield.
It is different with Hojlund because he cost a lot of money and didn’t come from the academy, but Mata believes United are in the process of finding the right balance between youth and experience.
“I know Alejandro [Garnacho], we played together and I know how good he is,” Mata told AS. “I think he is showing great maturity, mentality and consistency in many games. He is emerging as an important player, which is something I am very happy about.
“I didn’t know [Kobbie] Mainoo when he was in the youth team, but he is a very positive surprise. He seems like a very good player. Rasmus [Hojlund] is a different situation, since they paid a significant sum of money for him and he had some pressure at the beginning, but once he scored the first goal he hasn’t stopped doing it. He seems like a very strong forward, with a lot of confidence.
“I talk a lot with Bruno [Fernandes], he is a great friend of mine and we talk a lot about the games, training sessions… Everything. I wish you the best. They have a great generation of young players, with a mix of players like Bruno, who can give them a lot of experience, so hopefully it works.”
Mata was also asked about Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s arrival as co-owner of the club.
“I hope it goes great,” Mata added. “I have a lot of appreciation for the club after my time there, for Manchester and the people there, for the club’s workers. These last few years have not been the best in terms of performance and dynamics, so I hope this is a truly positive change, which returns the club to where it deserves to be, which is fighting for the big titles. A club with the history and heritage of Manchester United should always be at the top of football, so I hope it will be again.”
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