Juan Mata returns to Valencia with Manchester United with fans dreaming of him coming back for good

Long before there was the MSN of Messi, Suarez and Neymar, or the BBC of Bale, Benzema and Cristiano, there was ‘Mata, Silva and Villa’. They were the best in La Liga and they belonged to Valencia.

On Wednesday night one third of perhaps the greatest front three in the club’s history – Juan Mata, David Silva and David Villa – will be back at the Mestalla. How they would love to see him back for good in the summer when his Manchester United contract runs out.

The supporters have not forgotten the way Mata performed on the pitch and the way he went back to the city to give a goodbye press conference out of gratitude to the club who fast-tracked him to the first team when Real Madrid were procrastinating over his development.

Mata will play against his former club in the Champions League on Wednesday night

There is no question Valencia would love to bring him back. It would be a coup to rival Santi Cazorla’s return to Villarreal with the added bonus that at 30 and with a largely injury-free career behind him he still has so much to offer on the pitch. 

Off it he would give the club a globally-recognised, much-loved face to put out to the world. Wages and signing-on fee make it extremely unlikely. Valencia cannot compete with the offers from China and Japan likely to be on the table at the end of the season. But for now they can dream a bit.

It was the Manchester United fanzine ‘United We Stand’ editor Andy Mitten who tweeted this week: ‘When Valencia came to Old Trafford in 2010, their subs included Isco, Juan Mata (who came on for Jordi Alba) and Roberto Soldado. Unai Emery was coach.’

The exodus of talent from an institution that once proudly boasted of being Spain’s third-biggest club has been constant. When Valencia supporters demand the best it’s because, not too long ago, they were the best and only the massive financial mismanagement of the club by previous owners meant they had to sell the family silver, and the family Silva too.

It was sporting director Amedeo Carboni who plucked Mata from the Real Madrid youth team in 2007. His progress there was slow and breaking through in the Galactico era almost impossible.

There were doubters at Mestalla. Carboni was told that Valencia needed ‘men not boys’ but Mata won everyone over in record time. He became part of Ronald Koeman’s side that won the Spanish Cup and he got himself into into the Spain team.

It was Andre Villas-Boas who persuaded him to join Chelsea. Barcelona had been an option at the time but the Portuguese convinced the Spaniard that he would fit into the way he wanted his Chelsea team to play.

He is adored at the Mestalla after dazzling for Valencia during the early years of his career

His feats earned him big moves to Chelsea and then United – but he is out of contract soon

Villas-Boas did not last but, under his replacement Roberto Di Matteo, Mata won a Champions League to go with the World Cup and 2012 European Championship where he scored a goal in the final. In 2014 he arrived by helicopter to be unveiled as Manchester United’s £37million record signing. It’s been a whirlwind English adventure.

If he does end up back at Valencia then current coach Marcelino would have to adjust his 4-4-2. There is no natural place for a No 10. Cazorla has had similar problems back at Valencia, stuck out wide and asked to track back by a manager who has now been sacked – hardly the best way to get the best out of him.

But Valencia would make it work with Mata.

Save Mata extending his admirable charitable work by agreeing to go back on the cheap, it will remain just a dream for the club’s supporters. 

They are a demanding lot. At the weekend they cheered a 92nd-minute equaliser against Sevilla but then got the white handkerchiefs out at full time to jeer the team off the pitch because the 1-1 draw still left them 15th. The club had done them a favour by preparing a mosaic and leaving small white pieces of card to hold aloft before kick-off – they were perfect for the post-match protest.

It’s been a tough season so far and they are out of the Champions League as well as being eight points off the Champions League spots in La Liga. There could be more demonstrations. But only after they have made time to salute one of their favourite sons.

Valencia would love to take their former star back to Spain, but he could be out of reach