Juan Mata has told Man United why they must complete Dani Olmo transfer
The latest Manchester United transfer news and opinion as the club are one of several teams said to be showing an interest in the Spanish midfielder this summer
Amie is a football writer covering clubs across the country, she has been a football fan all of her life and supports Leicester City. She graduated with a degree in Sport and Exercise Psychology in 2015. Amie has previous experience in local radio in Leicester and Leicestershire.
Dani Olmo is a name that has been talked about a lot since the European Championships, with speculation continuing over his future.
Manchester United are one of the clubs said to be taking an interest in the Spanish midfielder, who did have a €60 million (£50m) release clause in his contract. That has since expired, but it is reported that his side, RB Leipzig, have set their asking fee at a similar price.
United are one of several clubs linked, but could be persuaded to make a move by former midfielder Juan Mata. The midfielder spent seven-and-a-half years at Old Trafford, winning three trophies, and is a mentor to Olmo.
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In a joint interview with The Guardian done alongside Olmo back in 2020, Mata sung his praises. “I look at Dani with pride and I have a lot of hope for him: the level he’s at, he’s already in the national team, and he’s someone I enjoy watching play,” he said.
“It’s very hard to play against him, as we saw at Old Trafford: he assists, he scores, he combines well, has vision, he’s very complete. And I’m sure he hasn’t reached his ceiling yet.”
Olmo has also joined Mata’s Common Goal charity. It has the aim of using the power of football to generate social change and improve people’s lives.
But the parallels between the two don’t end there. Olmo has followed Mata’s footsteps in the national team in becoming one of just a few players to win the Euros with Spain’s U21 team and then the senior side.
The Spanish midfielder is ten years Mata’s junior, but a move to United would come at almost exactly the same age that Mata arrived at Old Trafford from Chelsea. He completed a switch to United in January 2014 at 25 years old, three months out from his 26th birthday and Olmo turned 26 two months ago.
United will be hoping that the similarities continue with the players’ careers. Mata became a fan favourite at the club, making 285 appearances in the shirt before leaving in 2022.
Having Mata as a mentor and a role model can only be good news for United in any transfer pursuit. It’s also a good sign if they are successful in that race.