Manchester United’s painfully protracted takeover saga may be no closer to reaching its resolution, but there is finally good news from their pursuit of Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount.
Having had three bids rejected for the England star, United met Chelsea for in-person talks this week and emerged with a deal for £55m plus £5m in add-ons.
Mount will now have a medical after the weekend but has already agreed a five-year contract with United, ending his association with the club he joined as a six-year-old.
Chelsea’s Exodus Continues
Chelsea had been reluctant to sell Mount, but with just a year left on his contract and no sign he wanted to renew, they have reached a compromise with United to add him the list of stars leaving Stamford Bridge this month.
Kai Havertz, Mateo Kovacic, Edouard Mendy, Kalidou Koulibaly, N’Golo Kante and Tiemoue Bakayoko have already left Chelsea, with Ruben Loftus-Cheek likely to follow soon, with a move to AC Milan.
This exodus has been a reaction to concerns over Financial Fair Play rulings, with the club having spent £600m last season. Mount had scored 33 goals in 195 appearances for Chelsea, but had a more difficult 2022/23 season, scoring just 3 goals and earning criticism for some of his performances.
United’s Transfer Woes
For Manchester United, Mount’s imminent arrival is a welcome addition to their squad, bringing versatility, energy and invention to their midfield in competition with Christian Eriksen.
However, the club is still on the hunt for reinforcements in other positions, not least as first choice goalkeeper. David de Gea’s future remains unclear after reports in midweek that he had accepted a pay cut to stay at Old Trafford, only for the offer to be rescinded. So far he has only responded in the form of an enigmatic emoji on social media.
The future of Dean Henderson is also up in the air after an injury-hit loan spell at Nottingham Forest, leaving United looking at options like Internazionale goalkeeper Andre Onana. He is believed to be available for around £50 million.
A reliable goalscorer is also believed to be on United’s list of priorities, but having seemingly given up on trying to sign Harry Kane and with targets like Victor Osimhen likely to be out of their price range, Erik ten Hag will be relieved to have finally made some transfer progress this summer.
Unlike Chelsea, United have also been unsuccessful so far in moving on players seen to have no future at the club. The likes of Harry Maguire, Fred, Donny van der Beek, Eric Bailly, Alex Telles, Anthony Elanga and Anthony Martial are believed to be available, but have so far attracted little interest.
This could prove to be a problem for their attempts to bring in new talent, with Mount’s signing amounting for around half of their reported budget for the summer. A lack of clarity over the future ownership of the club continues to cast a shadow over preparations for the new season.
Written and distributed by Chat T Sports.
