Chelsea set to sign Mata from Valencia

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Chelsea have had a bid for Valencia midfielder Juan Mata accepted by the Spanish club.

Mata, 23, scored eight goals for Valencia last season and was captain of the Spain side that won this year’s Under-21 European Championship.

He also has 11 full international caps – and four goals – to his name, and was a member of the Spanish squad that were crowned World Cup winners in South Africa in 2010.

The player will move to Stamford Bridge subject to a medical, with Chelsea believed to be paying a transfer fee of around £24m in order to secure his services.

His arrival will be a huge boost for Blues boss Andre Villas-Boas, who has been particularly keen to sign another midfielder because Michael Essien will miss much of the season with a knee injury.

Mata, who was on Real Madrid’s books as a teenager, has scored an impressive 46 goals in 174 appearances for Valencia since joining them in 2007.

He can play wide as well as through the middle, making him a potential asset for Chelsea given their 4-3-3 formation.

His signing appears to signal the end of Chelsea’s pursuit of Luka Modric after a number of failed attempts to capture the Croatian playmaker from rivals Tottenham.