Revealed: Man Utd star agreed contract to sit on the bench because of Cristiano Ronaldo – but Premier League title dream turned sour

The World Cup-winning Spaniard had made just nine Premier League starts for the Red Devils under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in the season leading up to Ronaldo completing a sensational return to Old Trafford. Despite being linked with a move elsewhere, Mata agreed to extend his deal in order to work with the Portuguese superstar.

Mata has told FourFourTwo of not wanting to walk away from a potential challenge for domestic glory: “After so many years at the club, it would have hurt me to leave if United then won the Premier League. I didn't want to miss that moment. I dreamed of celebrating a league title at Old Trafford.”

Mata added on why Ronaldo’s arrival in 2021 got him so excited, with the five-time Ballon d’Or winner accustomed to competing for major honours: “I thought we could win the Premier League again. He had such high standards that he could drag the rest with him. I always thought that when it came to the 80th minute of a game, the ball had to go to him to win. He always appeared in decisive moments. However, circumstances around him prevented him from getting more quality minutes in his second season. I connected with Cristiano, during many conversations. He’s a much closer person than people imagine.”

Ronaldo went empty-handed throughout his second stint at United, with his contract ripped up as he was released as a free agent in November 2022. Mata had already departed for Galatasaray by then, with the Red Devils still struggling to find the consistency that will put them in a position to claim a first Premier League title since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.