Juan Mata‘s next appearance for Manchester United will be his 200th for the club, with the Spaniard possibly set to hit the milestone as soon as Saturday against Crystal Palace.
Mata was a club-record signing in January 2014, arriving from Chelsea for a £37million fee, though that mark has since been surpassed.
Ironically, the manager who sold him was Jose Mourinho, who is now of course Mata’s manager at United. When Mourinho was appointed in 2016, his history with Mata was expected to lead to another transfer for the playmaker, but he has instead kept himself in the manager’s plans.
Mata has endeared himself to United fans as well, with his affable personality a hit with the faithful, as well as his tendency to deliver memorable moments on the pitch.
The playmaker marked his debut with an assist, and his record at the club now stands at 42 goals and 34 assists. He has established himself as a set-piece specialist, scoring eight free-kick goals for United, most recently one earlier this month that kick-started a comeback win against Juventus.
His 200th appearance will also lift him into the top 100 appearance-makers in United history.
