Man United agree club-record fee for Mata

Manchester United have reached agreement with Chelsea for the transfer of Juan Mata for a club-record fee, the Premier League champions have announced.

The midfielder will have a medical, almost certainly on Saturday, and personal terms are also still to be agreed.

However, unless there are any hitches, Mata will make his debut in Tuesday’s Premier League encounter with Cardiff at Old Trafford.

“Manchester United is pleased to announce it has reached agreement with Chelsea Football Club for the transfer of Juan Mata for a club-record fee,” said United in a statement.

“The deal is subject to a medical and the agreement of personal terms.

“A further announcement will be made in due course.”

It has seemed just a matter of time before Friday night's announcement was made, with it becoming obvious Mata would be joining United as early as Tuesday.

Although manager David Moyes refused to discuss the 25-year-old following Wednesday’s Capital One Cup semi-final loss to Sunderland, sources involved in the deal had confirmed it was close to being agreed.

And the seal was put on the switch by Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho when he spoke to the media on Friday lunchtime.

“It’s what he wants,” said Mourinho.

“It’s what he asked us to accept. Chelsea Football Club is proud to act this way, in an open way, in a human way.

“The offer, compared with what the club paid two years ago (when Mata signed from Valencia), was fantastic.”