FORMER Premier League star Juan Mata has signed a season-long deal with Australian team Melbourne Victory.
The ex-Manchester United and Chelsea midfielder is set to spend his second straight season down under, having played last year for their A-League rivals Western Sydney Wanderers.
The south-coast club are the second most successful team in Australia thanks to their four A-League Championships.
Mata said in a club statement: “I really felt the energy in the club. I really felt that they wanted me here.
“Victory has always been fighting to win and it’s one of the most successful clubs in the league; that’s also one of the reasons why I’m here.
“I know how important Melbourne is in sports. It’s a very sporting city and I’m really looking forward to experiencing it and to meeting all the Victory fans.”
And Mata is not the only member of Premier League heritage that the outfit have brought on board in recent months.
Brighton chairman Tony Bloom acquired 19.1 per cent of the club in March, with an eye on potentially increasing his share in the future.
The relationship between clubs became even closer on Monday when Brighton CEO Paul Barber took up a role on Melbourne’s board of directors.
Mata will be the most recognisable of the Premier League contingent in Melbourne, having made 285 appearances in eight years at Old Trafford.
He also played 135 times for Chelsea, where he won a Champions League trophy in 2012.
The 37-year-old has enjoyed several short stints across the world since leaving United in 2022.
He spent one season with Turkish giants Galatasaray before making the switch to Japanese outfit Vissel Kobe, for whom he made just one appearance.
He now continues his time in Australia, where he will once again don the 64, a number he took up after leaving United in honour of his parents, who were both born in 1964.
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