LONDON -- Juan Mata is edging closer to joining Manchester United from Chelsea as the Premier League champions try to strengthen their squad after a lacklustre first half of the season. In a sign that Matas Chelsea departure is nearing, a person familiar with the situation said the midfielder did not train with the first team on Wednesday. United said it is yet to make a formal bid for Mata, but another person with knowledge of the situation said the club is pursuing the Spaniard in the January transfer window. The people spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the transfer is not being discussed publicly. According to Britains Press Association, United has lodged a 40 million-pound ($66-million) bid through a third party. United and its manager, David Moyes, would not take questions on Mata in the post-match news conference after the teams League Cup semifinal defeat to Sunderland later Wednesday. The 25-year-old Mata, Chelseas player of the year for the last two seasons, has fallen out of favour since Jose Mourinho returned as manager in June. He has not played for the team since the Jan. 1 victory against Southampton. Chelsea pulled further away from United in the Premier League title race by beating Moyes side 3-1 on Sunday. While Chelsea is third, just two points from the summit, United is seventh, 14 points behind leader Arsenal. Moyes accepts there is a need to reinforce the squad, with Champions League qualification, by finishing in the top four, far from certain. "I fully understand that supporters are keen to see us freshen up the squad with new faces, but January is a difficult month in which to bring people in," Moyes said in Wednesdays program for the League Cup semifinal against Sunderland. "While we are actively scouting players all the time, a lot of the work we are doing now is preparation for the summer. "If we can do any business now then we will certainly try to do it, but I will not compromise the standards required for a player that can come into this club and help improve it." Selling Mata to United could indicate that Chelsea does not see the 20-time English champions as a major rival this season. United has lost four out of five games at the start of 2014, and was seeking to overturn a 2-1 deficit against Sunderland on Wednesday night to reach the League Cup final. "We all know that our club is undergoing changes at present, but I have a clear path in my mind and I know where we are going," Moyes said in Wednesdays program. Mata would not be eligible to play for United in the Champions League because he has played in the group stage for Chelsea. Womens nike Lunarglide 6 .ca sat down with two Blue Jays veterans to get their thoughts on the August collapse. nike Lunarglide 6 Photosynthesis Australia .Benfica leads Porto by six points before it visits Pacos Ferreira on Monday.Bruno Gallo scored what proved to be Maritimos winner with a left-footed volley in the 32nd minute. http://www.airzoomshoes-au.com/nike-free-5-0-cheap-australia/nike-free-5-0-women-s-au.html . Lin averaged 27.3 points and 8.3 assists while leading the Knicks to a 4-0 record. The undrafted Harvard graduates 109 points are the most by an NBA player in his first four starts since the 1976-77 season, and he became the first player in NBA history to tally at least 20 points and seven assists in each of his first four starts. nike Air Zoom Pegasus 31 .Ahead of the FIFA executive committee reviewing the case next week, Champagne suggested Wednesday that the hosting status of Russia and Qatar were still open to question. nike Free 5.0 Gray . PAUL, Minn.MESA, Ariz. -- Ted Lilly has been hired by the Chicago Cubs as a special assistant to Theo Epstein, the teams president of baseball operations. Lilly retired after last season with a 130-113 record and a 4.14 ERA. He pitched for Montreal (1999), the New York Yankees (2000-02), Oakland (2002-03), Torronto (2004-06), the Cubs (2007-10) and the Los Angeles Dodgers (2010-13).dddddddddddd Chicago said Tuesday he will spend time with the team during spring training, visit minor league clubs during the season, evaluate amateur players ahead of the June draft and scout professional players. Cheap Soccer Jerseys Cheap NHL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys Cheap Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China ' ' '