Juan Mata 2.0: Chelsea stepping up move to sign "magnificent" £21m titan

Since the turn of the century, Chelsea rank first across Europe for transfer expenditure, spending a rather grotesque figure of €3.86bn (£3.2bn).

Having sold players to recoup around €1.96bn (£1.65bn) during the same period, the Blues have a total net spend of €-1,899.67m since 2000.

While the club may have won two Champions League titles and five Premier League crowns during that period, plus winning a plethora of other domestic and European trophies, spending has gone to a new level since Todd Boehly took control.

The Stamford Bridge side did make plenty of exciting signings during the first 12 years of the century. Players such as Didier Drogba, Claude Makelele and Ricardo Carvalho all played key roles under José Mourinho as the Blues emerged as a major force.

Eden Hazard, Thibaut Courtois and Oscar saw Chelsea enjoy a successful second act between 2012 and 2017, winning another two Premier League titles and a Europa League crown.

One signing was perhaps lauded more than the rest, especially given how much potential he had upon moving to Stamford Bridge.

Juan Mata looked ready to explode into life in the Premier League upon moving to England. Unfortunately, his time in London was short-lived, but his cult status hasn’t left him.

Juan Mata’s Chelsea statistics

Mata had enjoyed an excellent start to his career. After making his debut for Valencia, the Spaniard accrued over 150 competitive appearances for the La Liga side, scoring 46 goals and grabbing 52 assists in just four seasons.

This form saw him secure a place in the 2010 World Cup squad. He may have only played 20 minutes for Spain during the tournament, but he got his hands on the trophy.

Chelsea made their move a year later, signing the playmaker for a fee in the region of £23.5m, which was certainly a bargain.

During his first season with the club, he played 54 games and registered 32 goal contributions, helping the Blues win the FA Cup and Champions League.

Remarkably, 60 goal involvements were recorded in the season after as Mata emerged as a key attacking threat for the London side. They didn’t win anything, but with Mourinho announced as the new manager in the summer of 2013, hopes were high of further glory.

It was clear he wasn’t going to fit into his tactical system, resulting in Mata making just 11 Premier League starts for the Blues during the first half of the season.

In January, Manchester United paid £37.1m to bring him to the North East, but he left Chelsea as a cult icon for his impressive displays.

With the transfer window set to open in just a few weeks, could Chelsea be about to raid Valencia once again for a talented young player with the world at his feet?

Indeed, a move for Cristhian Mosquera this summer could see him become Mata 2.0.

Chelsea make their move for La Liga sensation

While the club are in urgent need of a new striker or two heading into the transfer market, Enzo Maresca is also on the lookout for a new defender.

According to Caught Offside, Chelsea are keen to step up their interest in Mosquera, who has enjoyed a breakthrough season for the Spanish side.

As per the report, the Blues could be set to initiate talks with the centre-back soon in a bid to secure his signature. Due to the fact that his contract expires next summer, Valencia are only demanding a fee of around €25m (£21m), which is certainly feasible for Maresca.

They face stiff competition from Bayern Munich, Bayer Leverkusen and RB Leipzig. While Atletico Madrid are also keen. Three of these clubs will take part in the Champions League next term, meaning Chelsea must secure their place in the competition to stand a chance of landing the youngster.

Although Maresca has plenty of centre-backs at his disposal, Mosquera could soon become a first-choice option for the Italian.

Why Chelsea must sign Cristhian Mosquera

The 20-year-old has started all but one of Valencia’s league matches this season, although the club have underperformed as a whole, looking like they might finish in the bottom half of the table.

Throughout the campaign, the Spaniard exuded the qualities of someone ten years older. Indeed, he has won an impressive 69% of his total ground duels per game in the top flight, along with making 3.4 clearances, 1.4 tackles and losing possession only 0.3 times per match.

These solid displays at the heart of Valencia’s backline have bolstered his reputation, being praised heavily in the process.

Football talent scout Jacek Kulig stated that Mosquera is a “magnificent CB in the making” earlier this year. He also stated that the youngster was “one of the most talented U-21 CBs in Europe” following an excellent performance against Real Madrid in April.

When compared to his positional peers in La Liga this season, Mosquera currently ranks in the top 4% for ball recoveries (5.16) per 90, along with ranking in the top 14% for pass completion percentage (90.8%) and in the top 18% for percentage of dribbles tackled (76.3%) for Valencia.

He is certainly still raw and has plenty of development to do over the next few years, but these statistics prove he can mix it with the very best in Spain, no doubt about that.

For a fee of just £21m, Maresca won’t find better value out there all summer. Mosquera has proven throughout the 2024/25 campaign that he is a reliable centre-back,k and his signing fits into the club’s policy of bringing younger talent to London.

Mata enjoyed a wonderful two-and-a-half-year spell with Chelsea after sealing a move from Valencia. Given his growing reputation and talent, Mosquera could certainly go on to enjoy a similar sort of impact at Stamford Bridge should he make the move this summer.

Maresca must act swiftly to secure his signature, especially with plenty of other suitors swirling around the player.

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