Former Manchester United midfielder Juan Mata hopes the arrival of new co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe can lift the club.

Mata is back in England preparing for his next move after leaving Vissel Kobe.

He told AS: “Yes, I hope it goes great. I have a lot of appreciation for the club after my time there, for Manchester and the people there, for the club's workers. These last few years have not been the best in terms of performances and dynamics, so I hope this is a truly positive change, which returns the club to where it deserves to be, which is fighting for the big titles.

“A club with the history and heritage of Manchester United should always be at the top of football, so I hope it will be again."

Asked about young guns Rasmus Højlund, Alejandro Garnacho or Kobbie Mainoo, Mata also said: “Very good. I know Alejandro (Garnacho), we played together and I know how good he is. I think he is showing great maturity, mentality and consistency in many games. He is emerging as an important player, which is something I am very happy about.

"I didn't know (Kobbie) Mainoo when he was in the youth team, but he is a very positive surprise. He seems like a very good player. Rasmus (Højlund) is a different situation, since they paid a significant sum of money for him and he had some pressure at the beginning, but once he scored the first goal he hasn't stopped doing it.

"He seems like a very strong forward, with a lot of confidence. I talk a lot with Bruno (Fernandes), he is a great friend of mine and we talk a lot about the games, training sessions... Everything. I wish them the best. They have a great generation of young players, with a mix of players like Bruno, who can give them a lot of experience, so hopefully it works."