Chelsea’s Mason Mount could be headed to Man Utd this summer; Sky Sports takes a look at why Chelsea are letting him go, what he would bring to Man Utd and where he would fit in under Erik ten Hag; Man Utd have approached Chelsea, who want £70m for the England midfielder
Erik ten Hag first bumped into Mason Mount when he was Ajax head coach. On loan at Vitesse Arnhem, the 18-year-old’s free-kick led to his side’s third goal as they beat Ajax 3-2 in March 2018.
Ten Hag, then in charge of just his eighth game at Ajax, reportedly tried to sign Mount for the Dutch club on loan from Chelsea the following season. Fourteen goals and 10 assists in his first full campaign of senior football, largely from central midfield, had caught Ten Hag’s attention.
Now, after a difficult fourth season for Mount at Chelsea and a chaotic first year under the club’s new owners, Man Utd are frontrunners to sign the 24-year-old midfielder and expected to make a formal offer.
The likelihood of Mount staying at Stamford Bridge is remote with the midfielder unwilling to sign a new deal. Chelsea know this is the time to cash in on a player who has just one year left on his contract.
Ten Hag, it seems, could be about to get his man.
Earlier in the season, following the arrivals of Casemiro (£70m) and Christian Eriksen (free) last summer, the midfield looked to have become an area of strength at United, at least in terms of first-choice options.
Ten Hag’s go-to trio of Casemiro, Eriksen and Bruno Fernandes has lost just once this season when starting together which backs that up. However, when Fred, Scott McTominay and Donny van de Beek are called upon there is a marked drop-off in quality.