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Valencia made late bid for Chelsea's Mata

Valencia made a late attempt to get Chelsea forward Juan Mata back to the club on loan before the summer transfer window closed, according to Spanish paper Superdeporte.

The paper claims Valencia president Amadeo Salvo talked to Mata's father and agent, also named Juan, on Monday afternoon about the possibility of the Spain international returning to Mestalla, but as they received a negative response Salvo did not then make contact with Chelsea.

Mata Sr was reportedly in Valencia on Monday, after returning to Spain having been at Friday night's European Super Cup in Prague, where his son was an unused substitute for the third time in Chelsea's four competitive games so far this season.

The elder Mata was also reportedly at the Emirates Stadium last week to watch Arsenal's Champions League play-off second leg against Fenerbahce, which led to reports the Gunners were interested in signing the playmaker.

Superdeporte claim that Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain came closest to signing Mata on Monday, and that the player could be on the move in January should his situation not improve.

Mata played at Valencia from 2007 to 2011, having joined as a teenager from Real Madrid's youth set-up. He then joined Chelsea for £26 million and was named the club's player of the year in his first two seasons at Stamford Bridge.

Earlier in the summer there were rumours that Arsenal were interested in Mata, while the player was regularly touted as part of a swap deal involving Manchester United's Wayne Rooney.

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