Transfer News: Manchester United star Juan Mata on the verge of signing new £170,000-a-week deal

Spanish playmaker Juan Mata is reportedly closing in on agreeing a new contract worth £170,000 per week with Manchester United.

As per an exclusive report from The Sun, Manchester United  midfielder Juan Mata is set to extend his stay at Old Trafford, as he is on the verge of signing a new one-year contract with the club.

The 30-year-old playmaker was in the final few months of his contract with Manchester United and had been strongly linked with an exit at the end of the season, when his deal expired. Reports of Barcelona and Arsenal wanting to sign Mata on a free transfer in the summer had emerged last month, prompting Manchester United to offer him a new deal.

And according to the report from The Sun, Mata is now close to agreeing a new one-year extension with Manchester United, with the club having the option of extending it by twelve months. The new deal will see the former Chelsea superstar earn £170,000-a-week in wages, the same as what he makes currently.

The report claims that interim Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer played an important role in convincing Mata to extend his stay at the club. The Norwegian, who has sparked a sensational turnaround of fortunes at United, held discussions with the Spaniard, following which he recommended the club to offer the playmaker a deal at the earliest.

A club source told The Sun: “Mata has had to wait his turn but it looks like the offer is there now. Ole has told the board what he wants to happen. There have been others ahead of him but he is top of the queue now. He wants to continue his time here. There is interest elsewhere but he is happy and wants to stay long-term.”

Mata arrived at Manchester United from arch-rivals Chelsea in January 2013, during the ill-fated reign of David Moyes. In his five years at the club, the 30-year-old has racked up 213 appearances, scoring 44 goals and setting up 36 more, winning a League Cup, an FA Cup and an UEFA Europa League trophy.

A firm fan favourite, Mata has featured 27 times across all competitions for Manchester United this season, chipping in with 5 goals and 3 assists. The midfielder was one of the four players injured during the Red Devils’ goalless draw against Liverpool this past weekend and faces a spell out on the sidelines.

Manchester United have tied down a number of players to new deals in recent weeks, with Phil Jones, Anthony Martial, Scott McTominay and Ashley Young all penning new contracts. And it seems like Mata is set to follow suit in the coming days.