The father and agent of Manchester United midfielder Juan Mata has revealed he could've signed for Barcelona three times over his career.

Mata left Real Madrid Castilla for Valencia before leaving for Chelsea, ahead of joining Manchester United.

Mata Snr said, "Indeed, as he is a player who has a DNA very similar to that football and coincided in the Spanish team with colleagues of that style, as there were three occasions to sign for Barcelona.

"The first when he was at Valencia, then when he was transferred to Chelsea and a third recently in which there were also possibilities, but in all of them Juan was lucky that he was in big clubs, so that did not happen because thank God he was in very important clubs."