Arsenal signing this out of favour Man United star would surely push them to a top-4 finish this season

Signing Juan Mata could be key to Arsenal trumping Man United in the top-4 race

According to reports from the Mirror, Juan Mata is generating some shock interest from fellow Premier League side Arsenal in their hunt to toughen up the midfield.

Arsenal have been very good this campaign under the obviously able guidance of former Paris Saint-Germain coach Unai Emery. His tactics and ideas have already begun to rub off on the current Arsenal crop and this was displayed in the best possible way in their recent 2-0 win over fierce London rivals Chelsea.

With a very poor record against Chelsea over the years, Emery’s tactics worked like a charm and Chelsea’s main strengths of possession and quick passing just seemed to be their downfall on that day. By man-marking Jorginho who, is Chelsea’s midfield conductor, and by giving Eden Hazard literally no time to rest on the ball, they were able to neutralise the threat.

But prior to that, Arsenal lost 1-0 to a struggling West Ham side despite dominating the ball and creating chances. Even against Southampton recently, it seems like inconsistency is built into the very core of this football club and Emery needs to be given time to try and solve this conundrum.

The signings of Matteo Guendouzi and Lucas Torreira have turned out to be a step in the right direction but with Ramsey all set to leave by the end of the campaign, Ozil seemingly much lower in Emery’s pecking order and Iwobi putting in average performances on a daily basis, another smart signing certainly wouldn’t hurt.

With reports linking Emery’s Arsenal with a move for Manchester United’s Spanish attacking midfielder Juan Mata, the Gunners might have found perfect player to come into the side and replace the departing Ramsay. His excellent footballing brain will be very useful in not just scoring goals, but showing the perseverance to push through tough fixtures.

He has an excellent playing record in the Premier League from his time at both Chelsea and Manchester United. Even though he has slowly been dropped from the United squad, he still offers a great deal going forward and could be the missing puzzle in unlocking Emery’s high-potential Arsenal outfit.

He has 15 league appearances this campaign and has scored 2 and assisted 2. His movement and runs in behind from the midfield will utilise the pace of Aubameyang and Lacazette perfectly while his excellent eye for a pass will be very useful. He is also a very good dribbler and can finish from long distances and difficult angles.

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Obviously a supremely talented player, at 30 years of age and with at least two more years left at the top level, this signing would be very smart by Emery and has the potential to ensure that they’re able to get automatic Champions League qualification come the end of the season.