It seems inevitable that Mason Mount will be Manchester United’s first signing of the summer and the move was confirmed last week.
Erik ten Hag wants Mount, this player wants to exchange Stamford Bridge for Old Trafford and Chelsea are ready to sell. The transfer makes sense for all parties and the agreed initial fee of £55m represents fair market value.
Any avid social media user may feel the pursuit of Mount is a small transfer story, but in reality, the deal is relatively straightforward, while last summer negotiations about Frenkie de Jong is as complicated as deciphering the Enigma.
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Director of football John Murtough tried his best to imitate Alan Turing in his negotiations with Barcelona but his efforts were in vain. De Jong was the one to leave, but Mount was seen by Ten Hag as the perfect replacement for the Dutchman.
Mount is a welcome addition and he will channel much-needed energy into midfield. The 24-year-old is yet to reach his prime years and he should continue to hone key aspects of his game under Ten Hag’s guidance.
Ten Hag has improved almost every club player in his first season at the helm and Mount’s push for improvement is also expected. He is already an England international and he has the potential to grow into a world-class operator.
The Cobham graduate has made a name for himself playing as a No 10, a creative attacking midfielder with the ability to unlock defence, but it looks like he was actually brought to Manchester to ensure take on another role in the center of the field.
Although the persistent Bruno Fernandes has been used on the wing and in a deeper midfield this season, he remains the club’s first choice attacking midfielder and he will start again. the majority of matches with that role.
Last season’s most consistent midfield trio consisted of Casemiro, Christian Eriksen and Fernandes, and Mount looked like the natural successor to Eriksen, who looked increasingly short towards the end of the campaign.
Eriksen has made 13 Premier League appearances in 2023 and he has played only one full game (Arsenal in January) in that span. He’s also played over 80 minutes on just four occasions in the past six months during the league campaign.
Like Mount, the 31-year-old has established himself as a No. 10 but he plays deeper in the red shirt. Ten Hag clarified his role in September and said: »We put him a little bit deeper on the pitch as he plays at number six and number eight where he has a lot of freedom.
»We told him which space he had to be in but he had to adapt to that too. I think he can make a game for you, he can also switch gameplay when needed. If he sees the last pass between the lines, he can do it and he can also go in attack.»
Considering Eriksen’s inability to pressurize the whole game, Mount is expected to start in that position instead next season and it will be interesting to see him adapt to the new position. like, which always raises different questions about him.
United play Leeds in Oslo in their first pre-season friendly on Wednesday and don’t read too much into Mount’s position in that game, as he is one of only two senior midfielders present and Fernandes is absent.
Mount and Fred are experienced midfield leaders and should both start. The lack of senior players means Mount is more likely to play as a No 10, but it looks assured he will be used to a deeper No 6 in pre-season games. other.
It is still possible that Mount could start with a No. 6 finish against Leeds and that would be a clear indication of the role he will take on permanently.
Regardless of whether he plays that role in Oslo or not, that’s where he seems certain to be used for United in competitive games.
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