United's silent auction: Mata deal all done in writing so Chelsea can't move for Rooney

Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of the Juan Mata transfer was that at no point did Manchester United and Chelsea engage in talks about the Spaniard.

There was no dialogue between club officials — not even when Chelsea entertained United at Stamford Bridge on January 19. Not once was Mata mentioned as officials dined in the directors’ box.

Instead United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward instructed the club lawyer to send a written transfer offer to Chelsea chairman and lawyer Bruce Buck last Thursday. Chelsea then replied, again in writing, with one or two changes and an agreement was reached.

Why? Because Woodward wanted to keep it strictly to the business of signing the 25-year-old, avoiding an exchange Chelsea would have wanted about Wayne Rooney.

United want to keep Rooney. Talks about a new contract have started and there is a real determination to secure the England striker’s services for the remainder of his career. Senior officials insist they will never sell to Chelsea and they hope Rooney’s excitement at the prospect of playing with Mata will make negotiations with his agent, Paul Stretford, that much easier.

It was the Rooney situation that prevented United from pursuing Mata last summer, when the club first became aware his days at Stamford Bridge might be numbered.

United knew Mata felt he had no future under Jose Mourinho and wanted to leave but at that stage Woodward was too busy rejecting a series of offers for Rooney from Chelsea.

Any approach for Mata would have been met with a demand to include Rooney in an exchange — a deal Woodward and new manager David Moyes were not prepared to entertain.

So United had to be patient, and leave it to Mata’s father and his English lawyer, Colin Pomford, to deal with Chelsea. By September 3, Chelsea had made a promise to Mata. If he remained professional but also on the sidelines under Mourinho, they would let him leave in January.

Still, however, United stayed quiet. They knew Mata wanted to come. They knew he had secured his promise. But not until Mata had something in writing did United want to act.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2546364/Uniteds-silent-auction-Mata-deal-writing-Chelsea-Rooney.html#ixzz2rZxn7Xqw