Man United has officially announced that Mateo Mejia has moved permanently to Sevilla.
After completing his transfer to Sevilla this week, the 20-year-old, who has never played for the squad in the first team, will pair up with Hannibal, an on-loan midfielder.
Mejia’s transfer fee has not yet been paid by the Spanish team; instead, it will depend on how well he plays in Seville. Included in the contract is a sizeable sell-on percentage from any future transfer.
Mejia is the first player to leave the team on a permanent basis out of the seven players who have left this transfer window. In a month where United is looking to cut costs, Alvaro Fernandez, Maxi Oyedele, Donny van de Beek, Hannibal, Jadon Sancho, and Joe Hugill have all left on loan.
Mejia has been training with the first team and was part of the club that took a pre-season flight to the USA last summer. The 20-year-old played for the young squad in San Diego’s match against Wrexham.
The club’s Under-21 team has featured the Colombian youth international on a regular basis this season, and he has only missed one league game. In nine Premier League 2 games this season, the gifted winger recorded three goals and five assists. Mejia, who was born in Spain, signed a new contract last summer and moved from Real Zaragoza to United in 2019.
As the news broke on Wednesday, United posted a statement on their website that read, “We’d like to take this opportunity to wish Mateo all the best for the future – we’ll be following your career with great interest.”
The attacker’s exit follows United’s previous strategy, which saw the sale of players like Matej Kovar, Charlie Savage, and Zidane Iqbal last summer in an effort to move on young players who are seen unlikely to make the cut for the senior team.
Mejia might make his debut on Sunday against Girona, who is currently atop the standings. Sevilla, the winners of the Europa League, had a difficult start to the season and are currently only one spot and one point above the relegation zone in La Liga. They also placed last in their Champions League group.