Chelsea signed Spain winger Juan Mata from Valencia for an undisclosed fee yesterday.
Mata agreed a five-year contract with the Premier League club after passing a medical and then trained with his new team-mates for the first time.
“Juan Mata completed his transfer from Valencia today, and will be available for Saturday’s game against Norwich having already trained with the squad at Cobham earlier,” a statement on the club’s website confirmed.
Mata is Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas’s fourth signing following the arrivals of Spanish midfielder Oriol Romeu, Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku and young goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, who has since joined Atletico Madrid on loan.
The 23-year-old is believed to have cost Chelsea around £23.5 million as the Blues beat London rivals Arsenal and Tottenham to his signature.
Mata admitted former Porto boss Villas-Boas’s commitment to an entertaining style of play was the main reason why he chose to join Chelsea after four years with Valencia.
“Villas-Boas is someone who won almost everything last year (with Porto) and we are both here with the idea of winning lots this season,” Mata said.
“He said he wanted Chelsea this season to play more attacking football and that I would be a big part of that. Valencia was a big club but I have left to join a bigger club and it is all about the opportunity to win trophies and I have that here.”