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Manchester United star Juan Mata hails Unai Emery as a special manager for Arsenal

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MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 06: Juan Mata of Manchester United during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Newcastle United at Old Trafford on October 6, 2018 in Manchester, United Kingdom. (Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images) — Juan Mata says Unai Emery is a special manager (AMA/Getty Images)

Manchester United midfielder Juan Mata has hailed Unai Emery as a special manager and believes the Arsenal boss is an excellent communicator.

Mata thrived under Emery at Valencia, spending three seasons with the 46-year-old before his £23.5 million move to Chelsea in 2011.

Last week, reports claimed that Emery is keen to sign Mata for Arsenal next summer.

And Mata has indicated that he would be willing to work with Emery again with his glowing review of the Arsenal manager.

I think whats special about Unai is the way he communicates, Mata said in Unai Emery: El Maestro, an authorised biography of the Arsenal manager which will be published next week.

Mata thrived under Unai Emery at Valencia (AFP/Getty Images)

In his talks, he used to write three, four or five things on the board: those were the points he was going to bring up.

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Sometimes it was five phrases or metaphors he was going to explain. Ive never seen that with my other managers.

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They usually revolved around phrases about positivity, camaraderie, the values he wanted to create in his team.

He communicated by means of the points he had written down.

His talks could go on and on because he didnt notice the time, but what he said was always intense, and he would ask you questions. It became a kind of seminar.