Mourinho To Let Go Of United Attacker In A Swap Deal For Serie A Midfielder
Reuters / Giorgio Perottino
Manchester United are finding themselves in a position of surplus talent. The Red Devils have a host of capable players that are victim to either a drop from the pecking order or a very bad run of form.
To make matters worse, some of them are in the final year of their contracts, which make them easy prey for clubs on the lookout.
In the case of Luke Shaw, the issue was put on temporary hold by activating the defender’s one-year extension clause, but it would now seem that another Old Trafford favorite with the same clause could be involved in a swap deal.
As per Corriere Dello Sport, Juan Mata has caught the attention of Inter Milan, and the Italian giants wish to sign the Spaniard as a part of a swap deal.
If the deal goes through, as part of the bargain, Jose Mourinho will be all set to receive Joao Mario in exchange – a player that Mourinho has been fond of in the past.
Being of identical playing style, Mata would be very welcome at the San Siro in place of the Portuguese midfielder, who has failed to shine.
Reuters / Carl Recine
However, reports also suggest that Mourinho has already said no to the deal, and that the Premier League outfit is on the verge of activating a one-year extension clause in Mata’s contract. But that need not mean that the deal is off.
It appears that instead of Mata, the United boss is willing to give away form-shy Henrikh Mkhitaryan in order to land Mario.
The report added that a clean swap won’t occur, as Milan will have to splash extra cash to sign the former Borussia Dortmund attacker, whose days at Old Trafford seem to be spiraling to a quick end.
All in all, it seems unlikely that manager Luciano Spalletti will agree to this deal, as Mkhitaryan, despite his talents, is simply not the kind of player that Mata is.
Written by Naveen Kelvin 
A writer trying to craft the poetry within football. Purpose in life is to Make Good Art.