According to David Ornstein, Manchester United and Chelsea have struck an agreement for Mason Mount to join the team.
United’s third offer, for £55 million, was turned down last week, but they have since agreed to pay the £55 million base price plus an additional £5 million.
The Chelsea academy graduate and England midfielder has been given the go-ahead to get a physical and confirm his personal details. The Premier League has had a busy week for transactions. Declan Rice’s transfer to Arsenal from West Ham United was confirmed, while Kai Havertz’s acquisition from Chelsea was also announced.
The German international is one of four well-known players who have left the west London club this week. Kalidou Koulibaly and Edouard Mendy have both joined Manchester City, and Mateo Kovacic has moved to Saudi Arabia to play for Al Ahli.
How did we get to this point, with Mount reportedly on the verge of moving to Old Trafford? Why is this occurring right now? What value would Mount add to United?
What took place?
With Mount’s current contract nearing its final year and no new deal in place, United and Chelsea have agreed to sign the midfielder.
The owners of Chelsea, led by Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali, co-founder of Clearlake Capital, have made it plain that they will not permit important players to depart Stamford Bridge as unrestricted free agents, like Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger did in the summer of 2022.
Timing is crucial in any transaction, so even though Chelsea rejected United’s third offer for Mount last week, it was in both teams’ best interests to reach a deal as quickly as possible.
Why is this occurring right now?
The deadline of June 30 for certain clubs to improve their books for the 2022–2023 season through player sales is a topic that is becoming more and more important in European football in the financial fair play (FFP) era.
There is a reason why discussions over Mount’s potential transfer from Chelsea to Manchester United, for instance, have moved forward. For individuals who have flown near to the sun, completing transfers before the end of the month is important.
Four high-profile Chelsea players have left in the last five days, netting the club at least £120 million, with Mount possibly following soon after: Kalidou Koulibaly ($20 million to Saudi Pro League club Al Hilal), Mateo Kovacic ($25 million initially to Manchester City), Edouard Mendy ($16 million to Al Ahli), and Kai Havertz ($62 million to Arsenal).
Chelsea would also benefit from a speedy Mount sale, if the price was fair. The FFP restrictions that limit how much Manchester United may spend before June 30 are cited as the reason for their unwillingness to go much beyond paying £55 million for Mount. Due to playing matches behind closed doors during the global epidemic and over their signing budget by more than £100 million last summer, United reported losses of £115.5 million for the 2021–22 season.
How come Mount would quit Chelsea?
This is a challenging query. For the better part of three years, Mount has been considerably underpaid; on the five-year contract he signed at the start of the 2019–20 season, he continues to be one of Chelsea’s lowest-paid first-team players, making less than £100,000 per week ($124,000).
He had just graduated from Cobham and was a returning loanee at that time. Since then, he has established himself as a fixture for England, played a significant part in the Champions League victory in 2021, and won Chelsea’s player of the year award twice.
In the final years of Roman Abramovich’s ownership, Marina Granovskaia did not see the need to revisit Mount’s contract situation, and since taking over the club last summer, Boehly and Eghbali have been unwilling to bind Mount to a new contract that more accurately reflects his status at the club.
It’s also fair to argue that the season’s incessant upheaval, which saw Chelsea finish 12th in the Premier League and fire Thomas Tuchel and his replacement Graham Potter in the process, did not assist Mount as he considered his options.
Is there a chance that he stays at Chelsea?
It had appeared that Mauricio Pochettino, Chelsea’s next head coach, would need to personally intervene in order to persuade Mount to agree to a new deal. Even this, though, appears improbable given that a fee has been agreed upon with United.
A reversal to stay at Stamford Bridge seems improbable now that authorization has been granted for a medical exam to be conducted, while nothing is set in stone.
Why has United shown such interest in him?
The summer’s top two needs for United boss Erik ten Hag are a centre striker and a No. 8.
Regarding the latter, he has been looking for a dynamic midfielder who is exceptional at both defensive and offensive work, something Mount can achieve.
The future of Scott McTominay should also be taken into account. Newcastle United has already expressed interest in the Scotland midfielder, and it is expected that they will do so once again this summer.
Therefore, it’s possible that United sees this as a deal in which Mount was acquired for not much more money than McTominay was sold for.
How is United doing financially?
This summer, United has a budget of roughly £100 million to spend, plus whatever additional money they may make from player sales.
One player who might be traded to them permanently and help free up more money is goalie Dean Henderson, who has been on loan at Nottingham Forest. Henderson and McTominay could pay for the Mount if they were sold for, say, £60 million.
This summer, United intends to complete its transfer business quicker than it did last, and they are carrying on with regular operations despite the uncertainty surrounding the club’s potential sale.
Financial fair play regulations would limit them somewhat even if a sale of the club were to succeed.
What impact does this have on United’s summer transfer goals?
The sum of money they can spend on other targets will change if the Mount deal goes through.
David de Gea’s future has been a problem for United in addition to FFP issues and the drawn-out acquisition of the team.
De Gea, 32, accepted a contract from United, but the team then withdrew the offer and presented De Gea with one with a lower income. United contested the claim that a contract was signed.
United are considering their alternatives in light of the fact that issue remains up in the air and have spoken with the agents for Inter Milan custodian Andre Onana.
A resolution to the transaction for the England midfielder would put a stop to that interest and also aid in preparing for the remainder of the summer, as would a choice being made over De Gea’s future. They had also approached Moises Caicedo’s club as an option to Mount.
A striker is also still Ten Hag’s primary objective after a season in which he had to stretch his resources up front.
What kind of form has Mount shown this year?
The current campaign has been Mount’s poorest at Chelsea. In 24 Premier League games, he made just three goals and two assists after hitting double digits in both categories for the first time in 2021–22.
A persistent pelvic injury that eventually required surgery was a factor. Additionally, Chelsea’s more general difficulties in the offensive third of the field have caused him to frequently switch positions.
What is his strongest suit?
He performs all of the duties associated with an attacking midfielder to maintain a good level both with and without the ball, and he possesses a number of exceptional traits.
His greatest strength is his spatial awareness; he frequently assists his side when in control by slipping into small spaces between the opposition’s lines (as seen below), catching the ball on the half-turn, and advancing it. He moves with thought and flexibility.
Without the ball, Mount also sets an example for the team by pressing with a relentless effort and forcing valuable turnovers. He is intelligent, tactically responsible, and adaptable enough to play a variety of roles in a range of systems.
Which flaws does he possess?
With Mount, it is less a matter of flaws and more a matter of the aspects of his game that are not quite exceptional. He can likely improve as a finisher by being more clinical, but his decision-making and execution in the last third can occasionally fail him.
You could even mention his adaptability since it has prevented him from playing in what he believes to be his greatest position at Chelsea: a dynamic No 8 in a three-man midfield who ties passing sequences together and charges the goal area when the opportunity presents itself.
Where in United’s tactical scheme might Mount fit in?
Although it may not be a flawless adaptation, this step has potential. The most apparent choice would be for Mount to go next to Casemiro in lieu of Christian Eriksen.
When United loses possession of the ball, Mount might offer the same creative passing, set-piece delivery, and late incursions into the box as Eriksen while enhancing United’s defensive effort.
There is a strategy behind United’s search for a player who is seven years younger than the Danish player and who can offer comparable offensive production and better defensive resistance.
Is outperforming Eriksen or United’s other box-to-box midfielders a sufficient barometer for what United hopes to accomplish in upcoming campaigns?
Concluding Thoughts-
There will be a lot of debate among the club’s supporters about the sale of one of Chelsea’s most promising young players. The Stamford Bridge supporters love Mount, who has 33 goals in 195 appearances. Frank Lampard, one of the finest players in the club’s history, predicted Mount would become the captain of Chelsea.
However, Mount had a difficult season due to injuries, and his future is now unknown, which has had an impact. Mount now earns about £75,000 per week, and Chelsea offered him many offers, the largest of which was for almost £200,000 per week.
The crowd in the 2021 Champions League final will remember the dedicated professional who assisted Kai Havertz in scoring the game-winning goal against Manchester City.
