Atletico Madrid are preparing a £20M bid for unsettled Manchester United midfielder Juan Mata.
Mata has struggled to nail down a first-team spot at Old Trafford this season after the arrivals of Agel Di Maria and Radamel Falcao, and the emergence of Adnan Januzaj.
United paid £37.1M to Chelsea for Mata in January, but are considering taking a loss of £17.1 on him.
The player has been linked with a return to Stamford Bridge, and Juventus are also keen.
But Atletico boss Diego Simeone sees the fact that United are prepared to take such a loss of Mata as a chance to tempt Mata back to his homeland.
United fans are perplexed as to why Mata has not been given more game-time, given United’s stuttering season so far.
The Red Devils lie in seventh place going into the international break, thirteen points behind leaders Chelsea, and suffered a humiliating 4-0 loss at MK Dons in the Capital One Cup.
Mata has only completed three 90-minute matches this season, which is a clear sign that his future may lie elsewhere.
Steve Osborne @SteveOsborne23
