Valencia reject Barcelona offer for Mata – reports

Cash-strapped Valencia have refused an offer of over 20 million euros from European champions Barcelona for their Spanish international winger Juan Mata, Spanish media reported Friday.

Valencia president Manuel Llorente told the 21-year-old player’s agent earlier on Friday that the club did not want to let him go and was in no position to offer him a higher salary, the online editions of sports daily Marca said.

“We know that he is a great player who is young and needs protecting and should stay with Valencia,” Llorent was quoted by daily El Mundo Deportivo.

Spanish media report that Mata earns around 600,000 euros per season, which would would make him one of the lowest paid members of Valencia’s squad.

Mata has been a regular fixture at Valencia since he joined the club from Real Madrid’s youth team in 2007.