Why are Man Utd so desperate to sign Mason Mount? Midfielder could leave Chelsea

Manchester United have reportedly emerged as the leading contenders to sign Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount in the summer transfer window. The England international has been heavily linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge in the coming months, following the club’s influx of central midfielders and the player’s reluctance to sign an extension to his contract which expires in 2024. 

Market Value

M. Mount Attacking Midfield

€65.00m

As such, the London club may be forced into considering offers for Mount this summer rather than allow him to leave for free. The club are already gearing up for a fire sale in the transfer window and according to Sky Sports Man Utd have stepped in front of other interested parties and to the front of the queue for the midfielder’s signature. But why are the Old Trafford club so desperate to sign Mount in the summer?

Why Man Utd need Mason Mount 

While Man Utd can lay claim to one of the most expensively assembled teams and the eighth most valuable squad in the world, there’s little doubt that the club will need some midfield reinforcements in the summer transfer window. As things currently stand, Erik Ten Hag has just four first team central midfielders to pick from on a regular basis - Casemiro, Scott McTominay, Fred and Christian Eriksen - if we don’t include Bruno Fernandes as a central midfielder. But even if we do, that’s still a small roster of players to cover three positions each week. 

If we then couple that with the fact that three of those players are now over the age of 30 and that the youngest, McTominay, has been linked with a move away from the club this summer, it only makes sense that another central midfielder would be prioritised in the coming months. And that’s where Mount comes in. The Chelsea star can play as a No.6, No.8 or even as a No.10 if called upon, allowing him to essentially provide cover for each of Man Utd’s three midfield spots, while almost certainly demanding a starting spot each week. 

However, Mount isn’t just an extra body to bolster Ten Hag’s squad depth. Over the course of the past three Premier League campaigns, only two Man Utd players - Fernandes and Marcus Rashford - have bagged more goals and assists in the league than Mount. The England international can lay claim to no less than 38 in 92 appearances and when we consider his entire record in the Premier League it stands at 0.47. Not only is that an impressive return, but it also placed him third, narrowly behind Eriksen when compared to Man Utd’s current roster of midfielders. 

As such, not only would Mount offer an immediate helping hand to Man Utd’s relatively bare midfield, but he would also provide some much-needed firepower in the form of goals and assists for Ten Hag’s side. And if the Old Trafford club can sign the player for a cut-down price due to his expiring contract, then a transfer in the coming months seems to make a huge amount of sense. But whether Chelsea would be willing to let him leave remains to be seen.