Can someone explain this to me?
So basically if United had approached Mata they could be done for tapping up (get that bit) but would have been refused permission by Chelsea to talk to him?
I fail to see what role the third parties had here. Surely it's as simple as if Chelsea wanted to sell him to United they would have and if they didn't want to they wouldn't have?
Quote:
Manchester United’s highly unusual use of intermediaries to conclude the Juan Mata deal may have stemmed from their strained relations with Chelsea after last summer’s dispute over Wayne Rooney.
United are likely to have been turned down flat, had they called Chelsea asking for permission to speak to Mata, after being made aware of his desire to leave west London. Though the details of how the deal has been done are yet to emerge, the possible sequence of events is that Mata instructed his agent to find him a new club, United were made aware through a third party, but then needed an intermediary of their own to begin discussions.
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http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/f...a-9081709.html
We don't want to talk to you but we'll talk to your representives?