Manchester United will bring forward talks with Juan Mata regarding a new contract, following the midfielder's impressive start to the season, according tothe Sun.
Mata's future at Old Trafford had been in doubt after Jose Mourinho took over at the club, but the Spaniard has won over his former Chelsea boss with a string of excellent performances and could now be in line for a new deal.
Mata's representatives had been happy to wait until the summer to begin talks over a new contract, and with his contract running out in the summer of 2018, they had been happy to bide their time. However, following the former Chelsea star's start the season United are eager to tie Mata down to a new deal, with Mourinho hoping to keep his best players at the club.
A United source told the Sun:"Juan has been a key part of the team this season, despite a relatively poor start.
"It was thought his contract talks could wait, but Jose is keen to tie down some of the players whose deals are tuning out."
Things had looked bleak for Mata, 28, with the arrivals of Mourinho, Paul Pogba and Henrikh Mkhitaryan in the summerlooking likely to reduce his game time.
The Spain international has fought for his place, however, establishing himself as an important component in United's stuttering first-team this season,featuring in 11 Premier League games, scoring three goals and contributing one assist.
Having arrived from Chelsea in 2014, Mata has made a total of 120 appearances for the Red Devils in all competitions, scoring 30 goals.