• Premier League

Mata claims United are still top draw

Juan Mata says it is almost impossible for David Moyes to emulate Sir Alex Ferguson's success © Getty Images

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Juan Mata insists Manchester United will be able to compete for the world's best players despite their serious struggle to qualify for the Champions League.

The reigning Premier League champions have had an awful domestic campaign under new manager David Moyes and need to mount a record recovery to get into Europe's elite club competition next season after an 11-point gap to fourth-placed Liverpool opened up.

Mata only made his £37.1 million move to United from Chelsea last month and, while admitting the club are in a "state of change" after the departure of long-serving manager Sir Alex Ferguson, he anticipates no problems with them signing top talent in the future.

"I don't know what will happen in the summer but the manager [Moyes] said the other day at a press conference that he's going to be signing players," Mata told has told Canal Plus.

"I think this club is at a stage of change, but I can tell you that the best players in the world will always arrive."

The Spain star conceded that qualifying for the Champions League could be a struggle but backed United to succeed.

"The objective is to get to the Champions League spots," he said. "It's difficult because Liverpool, Arsenal, Tottenham and Everton are playing well and fighting for the top four, but I think we have a team who can do it."

Mata also lent his support to the under-fire Moyes, suggesting it is almost impossible for anybody to live up to predecessor Ferguson's trophy-laden Old Trafford record.

"Everything Ferguson has accomplished is pretty much unattainable. He has won everything possible to win with this club in the last 20-25 years and it's tough to maintain such a level of excellence.

"But at the end of the day, it was these players that won the league last season and the new manager has arrived knowing what this club is.

"I think he has a great relationship with Sir Alex Ferguson and with time everything will get better, the results will get better and we'll get back to being where this club deserves to be."

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