Jose Mourinho has dismissed speculation that he would allow Juan Mata to leave Chelsea before the end of the transfer window.
The club's pursuit of Willian, coupled with the fact that they are keen to sign Wayne Rooney from Manchester United, has resulted in reports that the Spanish attacker would be used as bait to land the England international from the Premier League champions.
However, when asked about the rumours, Mourinho was adamant that Mata would remain at Stamford Bridge, even if new recruits were to arrive.
"No speculation, no speculation. He's a player we all like, he's a player we all want to keep. We want more quality in the team, we don't want less quality," ESPN quotes the Portuguese coach as saying.
"We want to add quality to the quality we have. So Juan is not a player we want to lose. The point is not to sell, the point is I want a 22-player squad. So if somebody comes - do we need to sell? No, we don't."
Mata joined the Blues two years ago today from Valencia.
Liam Apicella
