Football: Manchester United announces extending Juan Mata's contract

February 1, 2018 On Tuesday, English football club Manchester United announced Spanish midfielder has a one-year contract extension with the club. The club triggered the one-year-contract extension clause in Mata's contract which would keep Mata tied with the club until 2019.

Speaking about the Spaniard, Manchester United's manager José Mourinho said Mata is "[a]n important player for me; an important player for the club; an important player for the other players." Juan Mata joined The Red Devils in 2014 on a four-and-half-year contract. Mata made the switch from London club Chelsea FC for then-club record transfer fee 37.1 million under ' management. Mourinho was Chelsea's manager that time.

As of Tuesday, the Spaniard played 172 matches and scored 39 goals for Manchester United, and featured this season in 26 games in all competitions. In his tenure at the, he has won the FA Cup, EFL League Cup as well as the UEFA Europa League trophy.

The 29-year-old midfielder's contract was previously set to expire at the end of the season. Manchester's veteran midfielder is set to retire at the end of the season. Earlier in January, United signed Chilean forward from another London club Arsenal FC, on the expense of Armenian midfielder  in the swap deal. Mourinho, who has been in-charge of Manchester United for one and half years, said they "need to get a player to compensate the situation" of Carrick's retirement.