According to a report in Metro, Chelsea have turned down a rumored Tottenham Hotspur audacious bid for the club’s Spanish wizard Juan Mata, after the Blues hijacked a deal that was in place for former Anzhi Makhachkala midfielder Willian to go to White Hart Lane.
The transfer market is entering its final days, and Jose Mourinho has been active strengthening his squad throughout the window. The Portuguese manager made a comeback into the Barclays Premier League when Roman Abramovich offered him the opportunity this season. Mourinho was the manager of Real Madrid, while Rafa Benitez filled in at Stamford Bridge as an interim boss. Spurs have been involved in the market as much, and with multiple signings so far, manager Andre Villas-Boas is not shutting the door to more incomings. The North Londoners were hit when Madrid launched their approach to sign Welsh star Gareth Bale, and the last year’s award winning attacker has not been involved with the Spurs side in the opening two weeks of the season.
The transfer saga involving Willian would not have gone down well with Villas-Boas, who would have assumed the deal to be going through after the player had a medical at the club and agreed terms, until Chelsea knocked on the door.
Mata was one of Chelsea’s most consistent performers last season, and was awarded at the club’s ceremonies at the end of the season. He was signed by former boss Villas-Boas in 2011 for a reported fee if £23.5 million from native club Valencia. Since then, he has played 70 Premier League matches for the club, scoring 18 goals in the process. Even though the goal tally may seem low compared to high performing players like Frank Lampard as team mate, Mata has been key to Chelsea’s performances, and his quick touches, speed, agility and eye for the final ball has been one of the prime reasons for their success.
Spurs have just about a week till the window shuts, and must decide on Bale’s departure sooner rather than later, and find a replacement at the same time but there is no way according to Mourinho that Mata is going anywhere despite the continued speculation linking numerous clubs like Man United, Arsenal and Spurs with him.