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Jose Mourinho had some comments about the departure of Juan Mata, which the club released through their website after the signing became official. Here's what the boss had to say:
'I and everyone at Chelsea have massive respect for Juan and his big talent, and when he told us of his wish to move on because he wanted to play more, we did not want to deny him this opportunity.'
'We want him to be successful in his career and as well as that, this transfer makes huge financial sense to us at Chelsea.'
'We are pleased Juan will stay in England - even with a rival club. He is happy in this country and it is good the Premier League retains such a talented player.'
'Juan moves with our full blessing and I can speak on behalf of everyone at the club in thanking him for his fantastic service, and wishing him well for his future.'
While most fans don't share Mourinho's sentiment that they're glad Mata remained in England, I think most are at least pleased that Mata is now happy with his situation. He's got very little competition for minutes at United, and should see more minutes in the next six weeks than he's seen all season at Chelsea.
While it's always unfortunate to lose a player of Mata's caliber, Chelsea have now put together a more balanced squad than they had on January 1. It would have been great to have Mata as a part of it, but sometimes things just don't work out the way we hope. Have fun in Manchester, but just be aware that you look better in blue.
