Chelsea’s Champions League-winning side of 2012 was filled to the brim with stars. Although they might not have been the favourites to win the final against Bayern Munich, who were playing on home turf at the Allianz Arena, there is no doubting the talent in that Chelsea squad.
Of course, Didier Drogba was at the peak of his powers back then. He scored in that final which took his Champions League tally for that season up to six goals in eight games. Frank Lampard and Fernando Torres scored three each, and Petr Cech was an ever-present in the Blues side.
Arguably one of the more underappreciated players in that Champions League-winning squad was Juan Mata…
Mata’s Chelsea career
There was a reason why Mata was nicknamed El Mago, meaning the Magician in Spanish. He was a simply glorious player, an intelligent player with the ball at his feet who was one of the silkiest creators of his generation.
The Spaniard cost £23.5m from Valencia back in August 2011. For the Blues, Mata played 135 times, finding the back of the net on 33 occasions and grabbing an impressive 53 assists. That included one assist in the Champions League final.
He was well-loved by his teammates, with the goalscorer in the 2012 Champions League final Drogba one of the players full of praise. Back in May 2020, the Ivorian striker described him as a “maestro”, a word reflecting just how much he orchestrated Chelsea attacks.
Sadly for Blues fans, Mata left to join Manchester United late in the 2014 January transfer window, for £37.1m. Although he joined a Premier League rival, he left Stamford Bridge a hero, having played such a big part in their first Champions League win.
Now, years later, the Blues are chasing a player who could be the second coming of their former number 10.
Chelsea target their new Mata
The man in question here is another Spanish attacking midfielder, Dani Olmo. The situation with his current contract at Barcelona is unique, to say the least. Olmo is waiting to see if the La Liga side can register him for the second half of the season.
If not, the attacking midfielder will be available on a free transfer. This is where Chelsea come in. According to Mundo Deportivo via Sport Witness, they have already made contact and could move for the Euro 2024 winner if he becomes available. However, the West Londoners could face competition from Arsenal for his signature.
Despite the contract situation and injuries affecting his season, Olmo has performed well for Barca so far this term. He has played 15 times in all competitions, scoring six goals and grabbing one assist, which came in the Champions League.
The 26-year-old was one of Spain’s stars as they won Euro 2024 last summer. He was named in the official team of the tournament, and his stats on Sofascore make it easy to see why. He scored three goals and grabbed two assists, creating three big chances and playing 1.8 key passes per game.
Stat
Number
Games
6
Goals and assists
5
Big chances created
3
Key passes per game
1.6
Ball recoveries per game
2.8
Dribbles completed per game
2.3
Dribble success rate per game
74%
Duels won per game
4.5
His finest hour in the competition was against Germany in the quarter-final. Olmo was the reason Spain eliminated the hosts, with a goal and assist for Arsenal midfielder Mikel Merino proving to be the difference in a 2-1 win.
There are certainly similarities between Mata and Olmo. They are elegant number 10s from Spain, joining Chelsea from the club where they honed their craft, although the Barcelona star did play for other clubs in between.
Olmo, described as a “genius” by journalist Josh Bunting over on X, will bring winning pedigree and quality to a Chelsea side arguably in a title race. He could be their second coming of Mata and help bring the club back to its glory days.
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