Jose Mourinho risks upsetting his Manchester United players if he decides to sell Juan Mata this summer.
Mata, who was sold by Mourinho to United in January 2014, is well liked among his teammates and M.E.N. Sport understands his possible departure would be 'very unpopular' inside the dressing room.
Mourinho appeased the United squad before he met them by offering vice-captain Michael Carrick a contract extension weeks after his appointment was confirmed. United players arranged a get together two days following the FA Cup final in Carrick's honour, since they were uncertain about his future, but Mata's United career was plunged into further doubt by Henrikh Mkhitaryan's arrival.
Mata operated mainly on the right for United last season - which is where Mkhitaryan excelled for Borussia Dortmund. Jesse Lingard and Adnan Januzaj have also played their best football for United on the right flank while Mourinho praised Mkhitaryan's 'change of speed with the ball and without the ball'.
Mata, 28, is understood to not see any issues with Mourinho arriving unless the Portuguese decides to create one with the player he jettisoned from Chelsea.
Mata was named Chelsea's player of the year in his first two seasons at the club before Mourinho returned in 2013 and marginalised the playmaker. Mata reacted angrily when he was substituted in his last Chelsea game at Southampton in January 2014 and signed for United three weeks later for £37.1million.
The Spain international was omitted from Vicente del Bosque's Euro 2016 squad and was believed to be hopeful United would look to an alternative to Mourinho. However, Mata is happy to stay at the club.
Luke Shaw described Mata as 'probably the nicest footballer I've met' while Mata is so settled in England's north-west he and his father are backing the Tapeo and Wine restaurant which recently opened on Deansgate in Manchester city centre.
Mourinho discarded Mata as he set about restructuring Chelsea's spine two-and-a-half years ago. Nemanja Matic and Cesc Fabregas joined in 2014 and striker Diego Costa was bought from Atletico Madrid as Chelsea went on to win their third Premier League title under Mourinho.
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