It’s finally done! After a long and tedious process where it looked like everyone was strung along with no end in sight, Mason Mount has finally signed for Manchester United.
The Chelsea midfielder was Erik ten Hag’s No 1 target and it is reflected in the transfer fee the club ultimately paid for him. £55 million plus £5 million in addons for a player who would be a free agent next summer is indeed steep.
However, his versatility, age profile, and playing style means he should become a crucial member of the right from the beginning.
As with any transfer, this one is bound to have some winners and losers in the grand scheme of things. Here are two winners and two losers of this move from Manchester United’s perspective –
Losers
Fred
While Mount may have been Ten Hag’s priority target, the midfield was definitely not an area which needed priority addressing. A striker, and in case David de Gea leave, a goalkeeper is of more importance.
Therefore, Mount’s signing means an existing midfielder on the club’s books will find himself becoming expendable.
Going by Mount’s playing profile, that player is likely to be Fred.
Early reports have already emerged that the Brazilian’s place is under threat after Mount’s arrival. His contract expires next season and now is as good a time as any to sell him while he still retains some value.
Mason Mount immediately becomes a starter, likely taking Eriksen’s place. He provides the energy and enthusiasm of Fred while not proving to be as big a downgrade from Eriksen on the ball as Fred is.
Fulham have been credited with an interest and a transfer which always blew hot and cold is likely to end with a whimper. Sums up United’s business in the market for the past decade. Mount will hope to break the curse.
John Murtough and Co.
How can the team who delivered the manager his key target in record time be a loser? It’s not so simple.
Mount had only one year on his contract. He wanted only Manchester United. He had made it clear, in no uncertain terms, that he would run down his contract if not sold to United.
Still, Chelsea managed to extract a comparable fee to Kai Havertz, and almost £10 million more than what they paid Manchester City for Raheem Sterling who was in a similar situation to Mount.
Firstly, the leaks remain a problem. There is no other elite club in world football whose each and every bid, move, and interest is leaked in such detail.
The whole back and forth made it seem like the deal was happening in public. It is never a good sign when your finances are there for the world to see, and United have been a repeat offender.
Then comes the overpaying part. Granted, the current regime is working with a problem which took home due to years of mismanagement by Ed Woodward and Co.
Still, bowing down to hefty prices like that of Antony, Casemiro, and now Mount means that the current regime is not doing much to reverse things. The briefs don’t match the actions. “United tax” remains a very real phenomenon and after this deal, expect other clubs to also make United desperate, as they crumble under public pressure (again, due to the leaks), to overpay for more players.
The club is stuck in a vicious cycle.
Winners
Mason Mount
Can only start off with the obvious one! Mason Mount had made it clear that he wanted to leave Chelsea and join only Manchester United. At several points during the negotiations, it looked like he wouldn’t get his wish.
Going back to training at the club where you have burned all your bridges is a nightmare scenario. Furthermore, being in a contract year is a double-edged sword. The prospect of getting a big signing amount on a free transfer is accompanied by uncertainty in case an injury occurs.
Therefore, Mount securing a lucrative contract, at his preferred destination, before the start of pre-season is the dream scenario for him.
Now he will return from holidays to a club where the manager fought tooth and nail to get him and sees him as a crucial part of his next great United side.
Erik ten Hag
Manchester United securing Mason Mount is the first time second time that the club has managed to sign a player in June since Aaron-Wan Bissaka arrived in 2019.
It marks a huge statement of faith in the manager.
Despite going through a tumultuous takeover process, the Dutchman has managed to convince the board to sign his priority target before the start of pre-season, an ideal scenario for any manager.
The talks were slow-moving and looked close to collapsing at times, but United managed to lower Chelsea’s ask while compromising at their end as well. The result is that the manager gets his No 1 target ready to learn his methods in a gruelling eight-game pre-season.
Add to that the quickly developing interest in Andre Onana of Inter, Ten Hag might very well have a deal for two of his targets agreed upon before pre-season.
That feat would be remarkable for United, who have been dithering operators. It is made more unbelievable considering the uncertainty caused by the takeover process. A huge part of it is down to the trust Ten Hag has earned after an encouraging first season.