Chelsea midfielder Juan Mata could be heading to Serie A to team up with Rafa Benitez again, this time at Napoli, according to a report on the back cover of The Sunday Times newspaper (pictured above).

Mata has endured a difficult season under Jose Mourinho, where the gifted Spanish midfielder hasn’t had the playing time or plaudits that he received when Benitez was the manager at Stamford Bridge. More recently, Mourinho has publicly said that the “door is open” if Mata wants to leave the club. And while Mata has said he wants to stay, the midfielder could be enticed by a move to Italy to play for Napoli.

Read: Jose Mourinho’s decision to exile Juan Mata has been proven correct.

Benitez and Napoli offer Mata an opportunity where his talent can be showcased. At Chelsea, Mourinho has preferred Oscar due to the Brazilian’s defensive skills to track back, which he feels are better than Mata who is more offensively minded and weaker at defending.

If Mata does depart Chelsea, it’s unlikely that Mourinho would let him move to another Premier League club particularly how much of an impact Mata could have on other club’s fortunes. The most likely destination is Europe. Napoli or another Serie A club vying for UEFA Champions League qualification seems like a safe and logical bet.

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