Regarding Manchester United’s pursuit of Chelsea playmaker Mason Mount, there has been an update…
What’s new with Mount and Manchester United?
The Red Devils will reportedly make another bid for the England international in the neighbourhood of £50 million, according to journalist Rudy Galetti. Erik ten Hag’s team previously had a £40 million offer for the player rejected by their Premier League rivals.
The transfer insider wrote on Twitter: “#Mount, talks between #Chelsea and #ManUTD are moving forward. MUFC is prepared for the new offer and, as stated, is confident that they can persuade #CFC with £50 million. The Blues, who are also working on some existing projects, want to sell in order to open up new markets.
The west Londoners are reportedly asking for around £70 million for the academy graduate, despite the fact that the 24-year-old has only one year left on his current contract. It is unclear if that potential new offer would be sufficient to persuade the Blues to sell.
Would Man United be wise to bring in Mount?
The former Derby County loanee did have a miserable 2022–23 season—he contributed just five goals and assists in 24 league games—but the Portsmouth native does seem to be a genuine talent. He had double digits in both of those two metrics the season before.
Described as a “complete player” by Stamford Bridge legend Gianfranco Zola, Mount may end up being United’s answer to Martin Odegaard, the captain of Arsenal, who can also excel in an advanced midfield position or as a number eight.
Following his 15 goals and seven assists in 37 league games, the former Real Madrid player, who was later hailed as a “super footballer” by former Red Devils player Owen Hargreaves (Premier League Productions, 12/11/2022, 21:55), played a pivotal role in the Gunners’ unsuccessful title defence last season.
The Englishman has an exceptional record of 5.95 progressive passes per 90 over the last 365 days, according to FBref, while Odegaard is just ahead with an average of 7.74 per 90 for that same metric. Their similarities to Mount can be seen in their immense creative quality and their ability to provide incisive, forward passes.
Both players began their professional careers on loans at Eredivisie team Vitesse Arnhem. Mount first made a name for himself with the Dutch team during the 2017–18 season, scoring 14 goals and dishing out ten assists in just 39 games across all competitions.
The young player was named the club’s Player of the Year as a result of that impressive play, which reportedly caught Ten Hag’s attention at the time. Vitesse then lined up Odegaard as his natural successor for the ensuing season.
The current Emirates star, who scored 11 goals and contributed 13 assists of his own in that 2018–19 season before agreeing to another loan deal with Real Sociedad, undoubtedly managed to emulate Mount’s brilliance to help jumpstart his senior career.
Ten Hag may have his own version of Odegaard on his hands next season if an agreement with Todd Bohely and company can be reached, as the latter player is now excelling under Mikel Arteta’s guidance. A move to United could also help the Chelsea magician to regain the type of form that he displayed in the Netherlands.
