Juan Mata Arrives at Old Trafford in a Chopper

Manchester United were today preparing a helicopter landing area at Carrington as they prepared to welcome Juan Mata for a medical, ahead of his £37m move from Chelsea – while the Blues have confirmed that they have agreed a deal to sign Basel winger Mohamed Salah.
The medical suite at the United training ground has also been prepared for the 25-year-old Spaniard to clear the final obstacles to a transfer which United manager David Moyes has to hope will breathe new life into his beleaguered side, who lost last night’sCapital One Cup semi-final to Sunderland.
The Mata deal, worth £37m to Chelsea, will free cash for the west London to spend at a time when Financial Fair Play had been restricting them, and they quickly moved for the 21-year-old Egyptian Salah, whose contract at Basel expires in the summer.
But Chelsea are now threatening that – and there is also concrete interest from Jose Mourinho in Inter Milan’s 27-year-old Colombian Fredy Guarin, who plays right or centre midfield. Guarin is a player who United have asked to be kept informed about. Their own midfield problems have not been resolved by Mata’s arrival as he is not the type of player to do defensive work for United and to hold midfield in a way that none of their complement of players have been able this season. There is a feeling that United may seek to do more business this month, even if the Mata deal is concluded as expected.
Guarin’s swap deal with Mirko Vucinic from Juventus has fallen through and Inter have instructed 27-year-old Guarin’s agent to find a club for the player as they need the money. Chelsea view that as an opportunity to sign Guarin at a discount price.
United hope Mata will be available to face Cardiff City next Tuesday, a game for which Wayne Rooney has an outside chance of being fit for. The fact that other contenders for the top four places play each other next week – the Merseyside derby is also on Tuesday and Manchester City travel to Tottenham the following night – could give United the chance to make up some ground on those clubs.