Manchester United have reached an agreement with Chelsea to sign Mason Mount for a fee of £60 million, of which £55 million will need to be paid upfront. The deal was confirmed by transfer guru Fabrizio Romano on Thursday afternoon. It was previously reported that United would step away from the signing of Mount because of the valuation of the player by Chelsea, but that seems to have changed massively with seemingly a conclusion to the deal.
It is also being reported that Mount will head to Manchester for a medical prior to the completion of his move, which should happen on Monday at the clubs Carrington training complex. Mount will become United’s first signing of the summer with manager Erik ten Hag seeking to address the balance of the midfield and ensure there are players to interchange throughout the course of the season, to keep freshness in his squad ahead of another big season.
Chelsea had rejected bid from United in the past few weeks and with that now in the past, Mount, 24, will sign a five-year contract at the Theatre of Dreams. Mount is an attacking midfielder meaning he can play on either wing or in the middle, where Bruno Fernandes usually plays. He can also play in left midfield on in centre midfield, which gives Ten Hag a number of options for the 24-year-old and this will bring problems to a number of players already at the club.
Whilst Mount can feature in Fernandes’ position, it may not be something that happens regularly, maybe in rotation or to add something to the squad in certain matches. The most likely area he will play will be in the centre of the midfield, adding some creative play and attacking sense to the midfield with the likes of Christian Eriksen, Fred and Scott McTominay could be at risk here. Two of the trio have seen speculation rise this summer.
Fred has been linked to other clubs, specifically Fulham after the final Premier League match of the season. Fred was due to be out of contract this summer, but a one-year clause from his contract was activated in December 2022, meaning he will remain at the club this summer, unless United have plans to sell him. Should he stay, his time on the bench might be a lot longer this coming season – he was a handy player for United last season though.
McTominay has been linked with a move away from United in recent months. Newcastle United and Everton have both been linked with the Scotland international. McTominay’s contract expires in the summer of 2025, although there is an option for a further year. He made 39 appearances last season, most of the time from the bench, so Mount’s arrival could see more of that for the player, who will be seeking to play more football this coming season.
Eriksen may also be a casualty, but in what he offered United in his debut season, he will be required at the club to continue to do that, perhaps playing a lesser role the majority of the time – even offering rotation for Fernandes as he can play in the central attacking role. United will require freshness across the squad this coming season, as playing in all four competitions so late last season, brought lots of fatigue for Ten Hag’s squad.
Fred could well be the main option for Ten Hag to sell this summer with the player not really getting hold of a position – unless there was injuries to deal with. He would not add much to his transfer funds this summer if he was sold but he would get more football elsewhere. Should he leave, Kobbie Mainoo could benefit with more involvement in the first team, if and when needed. Ten Hag clearly has an eye for him with the departure of Zidane Iqbal.
McTominay could give United a considerable return if he was sold this summer, but United seem interested in retaining his services this summer. That said, if he was to become unhappy playing second fiddle to Casemiro United may allow him to leave for pastures new so he does not thwart his career at the Old Trafford club. I am sure that things will be resolved at some point this summer. But Mount arriving will cause problems for some but be good for United.
Written by John Walker
