What Mata must do to secure Barcelona switch from Manchester United

Juan Mata must accept a significant pay-cut if he wants to join Barcelona from Manchester United this summer, claims The Sun.

The Spaniard is out of contract at the end of the season and is free to discuss a Bosman transfer with foreign clubs.

United are reportedly still working on a deal to renew the 31-year-old’s contract but face competition from Arsenal and Barcelona.

Barcelona are long-term admirers of Mata and are open to signing the veteran if it makes sense financially.

Mata currently earns £170,000-a-week at Old Trafford and will not be offered anything close to that at Barcelona.

Free agents are usually in a position where they can command high wages due to the fact there is no transfer fee to pay for the buying club but that is not the case for Mata.

Mata scored his first Premier League goal since December in United’s 1-1 draw with former club Chelsea on Sunday.

The United No.8 has now equalled his goalscoring tally in the league from last season (3), doing so in more than 700 fewer minutes.

Since completing a £37.1m move to United from Chelsea at the start of 2014, Mata has scored 30 goals and provided 21 assists in 139 league appearances.