Lindelof’s New Chapter at Aston Villa and Mata’s Role in the Transition

Victor Lindelof found himself relegated to a limited role during his final seasons at Manchester United, failing to achieve 20 Premier League appearances in each of his last two campaigns. Upon the expiration of his contract last June, he departed Old Trafford. Despite links to clubs in mainland Europe, including Borussia Dortmund and Fiorentina, he ultimately chose to remain in England, signing with Aston Villa on transfer deadline day.

Juan Mata, who played alongside Lindelof at United and had previously been coached by Unai Emery at Valencia, acted as a key intermediary in the summer transfer.

During a press conference on Tuesday, Emery detailed the process that led to Lindelof’s signing with Villa: “I called Juan Mata, his former teammate at Manchester United three or four years ago, and I coached Mata in Spain. He is a fantastic and intelligent individual. I inquired about the possibility of signing Lindelof and everything Mata shared about him—both as a person and a player—has been evident. He is a professional, respectful player who has adapted well to our needs, particularly in light of injuries to Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres. He has performed at the level we expected, and I told him, ‘You set the standard here; you cannot fall below it.'”

Mata was a cherished figure during his tenure at Manchester United, having joined from Chelsea in January 2014, three and a half years prior to Lindelof’s arrival. Over his 285 appearances, he accumulated 51 goals and 44 assists before his contract expired in the summer of 2022.

Following his departure from United, Mata joined Galatasaray, but after just one year, he left Europe to sign with Japanese club Vissel Kobe. His time in Japan was short-lived, making only one appearance in a loss to Sanfrecce Hiroshima, although he received a championship medal when Vissel Kobe won the J1 League title.

In the last two years, Mata, now 37, has continued his career in Australia, recently spending the 2024-25 season with Western Sydney Wanderers before transferring to Melbourne Victory.

While Mata enjoys the later stages of his career in Australia, Lindelof remains active in the Premier League. After a slow start adjusting to his new club, he has become a key player for Villa, starting each of their last five league matches and establishing a strong center-back partnership with England international Ezri Konsa.

Aston Villa’s impressive run of 12 wins in their last 13 Premier League matches has propelled them to within six points of league leaders Arsenal. They currently share 42 points with Manchester City, sitting eight points clear of Liverpool in fourth and 11 points ahead of Chelsea in fifth. Meanwhile, Lindelof’s former club, Manchester United, is on par with Chelsea in goal difference, both teams experiencing tumultuous seasons following coaching changes. Liam Rosenior has taken the helm at Chelsea, replacing Enzo Maresca, while Darren Fletcher has taken on interim responsibilities at Old Trafford in place of Ruben Amorim.