A Juan Mata book of poetry may well be the perfect gift for some Manchester United fans this Christmas.

On the back page of Tuesday’s edition of Spanish newspaper Marca, above what appears to be a random fitness update, is a sentence which will please those fans of Mata who like the star’s cultural interests.

The Manchester United footballer is apparently hoping to release a book of poetry for Christmas. That’s all the information Marca have managed to share on the topic, and there’s no explanation elsewhere in the Spanish media.

Mata and poetry is nothing new, it’s something which the footballer has spoken about on several occasions throughout his career.

When still at Valencia, the then 21 year old read poetry at a ‘Aula de Poesía’ event at the Palau de la Música. It was a series of events which invited notable people from various walks of public life to read poetry to those who attended.

Earlier this year, the now 28 year old appeared on Spain’s La Sexta to speak about his love of poetry and read a line from Charles Bukowski’s Bluebird (40 seconds in).

Mata’s weekly blog has proven a big hit with fans, and if Marca are correct then the Spanish international wants to share some of his own poetry later this year.