Manchester United legend Gordon Hill has responded to rumours suggesting than Juan Mata may be used as a makeweight in a swap deal for Juventus midfielder Arturo Vidal.
United were heavily linked with a move for the Chile international all through the summer but a transfer failed to materialise before the deadline; that hasn’t stopped a renewal of the rumours this past weekend, which imply that the man who was the club’s record signing in January may be offered in exchange.
Hill believes it would be a bad move. “I don’t see the logic in transferring a player who is so reliable with his fitness for one who has a history of problems,” he said. “It would be a move I’d stay away from anyway and I certainly wouldn’t be giving a player like Mata for him.”
The Spanish schemer has found his place in the team questioned with the arrivals of Falcao and Angel Di Maria but Hill – himself a quality left footer in his days at United – feels that there is more to come from the former Chelsea man.
“One thing for sure is that we haven’t seen the best of Juan Mata in a Manchester United shirt yet,” he says. “He has done well and has scored plenty of goals since David Moyes was sacked but with the new players he has got to fight for his place. He’s got undoubted quality, and I think even talking about him leaving the club so soon after arriving is stupid.”
Mata is expected to keep his place as United resume Premier League duty at West Brom on Monday, with Wayne Rooney still suspended. The Reds have won their last two games 2-1 after a mixed start to the season and Hill believes things are finally starting to settle for the new manager. “Going forward we obviously look great… although there are concerns about our defence, hopefully things will start to settle there too with players coming back from injury,” says Hill.
