There has been an update in Manchester United's reported interest in Chelsea playmaker, Mason Mount, with speculation growing that the Englishman could be on his way to Old Trafford…
What's the latest on Mount to Man United?
The Daily Mail reported late last week that the Red Devils were set to launch a £55m bid for the 24-year-old – who has just a year left on his existing deal at Stamford Bridge – while The Athletic's David Ornstein subsequently stated that the midfielder is "leaning towards" a move to United if he is to exit the Blues this summer.
Following on from those reports, journalist Sam Pilger has now revealed on Twitter that there is "increasing confidence" among those at the Theatre of Dreams that a deal for the one-time Derby County loanee can be done ahead of next season.
In his attached piece for Optus Sport, the transfer insider revealed that Mount – who has previously been valued at around £70m – could well be sold by the west London outfit if a new deal cannot be agreed, with Erik ten Hag said to view the 36-cap gem as a 'possible upgrade' on Christian Eriksen.
Should Man United sign Mason Mount?
United have previous for acquiring players from rivals Chelsea, having snapped up the likes of Nemanja Matic and Juan Mata from their top-flight rivals within the last decade.
In the case of Mount, the signing of the Three Lions star would evoke memories of the move for fellow midfielder, Mata, with the Spaniard having joined David Moyes and co in January 2014 on a £37.1m deal.
Much like Mount – who helped his current side to Champions League glory back in 2021 – the diminutive ace also helped the Blues to Europe's prized honour in 2012, having established himself as a leading figure in the capital after providing 90 goals and assists in just 135 games across all fronts.
After falling out of favour under Jose Mourinho amid what was a "difficult" spell – in his own words – the World Cup winner opted to make the leap to Manchester in search of improved game time and would go on to score 51 goals and provide 47 assists in 285 outings prior to his eventual exit last summer.
While a respected servant during his eight-and-a-half-year stint with United, the 35-year-old seemingly never hit the heights that he achieved at Stamford Bridge – as his return of goals and assists illustrates – having spent much of his time at the club utilised in a right-wing berth, rather than in his preferred number ten role.
The fear will be that Mount – who has been hailed as a "little genius" by talent scout Jacek Kulig – could also follow a similar path if he is to make the move this summer, with it also unclear as to which role the Portsmouth native would occupy under Ten Hag.
Despite having featured predominantly as an attacking midfielder during his time with the Blues, the presence of Bruno Fernandes in that role could well see Mount forced to be deployed elsewhere, ensuring that Ten Hag and co may not see the best of his talents.
As such, the Red Devils may well be looking at Mata 2.0 with the signing of the £80k-per-week asset…
