Juan Mata has joked that Bruno Fernandes was “quite happy” at his departure from Manchester United this summer because he wanted his shirt number.
Mata left United at the end of the month alongside Paul Pogba, Jesse Lingard, Nemanja Matic and Edinson Cavani. The 34-year-old midfielder had been at Old Trafford since 2014 and helped the club win the FA Cup, Europa League and the EFL Cup.
The Spaniard contributed 51 goals and 47 assists in 285 matches for United and was an extremely popular player in the dressing room. He received a barrage of well-wishes from team-mates past and present when he announced his exit, but his departure also had another knock-on effect.