Mount was part of the Chelsea side at the end of the season but may not be at the club for much longer. Photo: Chelsea. FC/Darren Walsh
Erik ten Hag is confident he can convince Mason Mount to join Manchester United as part of the manager's summer overhaul.
Mount is wanted by United, Liverpool and Arsenal have also not yet made a final decision about their future, although the England international looks set to leave Chelsea.
Ten Hag made a sweeping statement after United's last Premier League game of the season with a 2-1 win at Old Trafford. against Fulham when he said that their success this season, most notably a return to the Champions League, was achieved despite him not supporting him in the winter transfer window.
Ten Hag wanted United to sign Kodi Gakpo from PSV Eindhoven in January, only for the Dutchman to join Liverpool for a £37m down payment. United signed Wut Weghorst and loaned out Marcel Sabitzer after an injury to Christian Eriksen.
“They know at the club that if you want to play in the top four, fight for trophies in this tough league, then you need to invest, otherwise you don’t stand a chance because other clubs will fit,” said Ten Hag. “We saw in the winter. All the clubs around us have invested huge amounts, we haven't, but still we did it.
The situation is further complicated by uncertainty over United's ownership and it is understandable that Ten Hag's frustrations are shared within the club. The Glazers have yet to decide whether to accept bids for the club from Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who is the favorite, or from Qatari Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani.
The bidding process has been going on for six months, and it is feared that this will affect United's transfer plans.
Priorities for Ten Hag this summer are a striker (a dream to sign Harry Kane from Tottenham Hotspur) and a dynamic number eight that Mount could take.
The 24-year-old has just one more year on his contract with Chelsea, who don't want him to leave for free next summer.
Furthermore, since Mount is an academy product, any transfer fee that What Chelsea will get for him will be a net profit, which is critical given their need to balance the books after the heavy spending so far squandered under new owners and their desire to provide new head coach Mauricio Pochettino with enough funds to transfer. It remains to be seen how much Chelsea will charge for Mount.
Mount appeared to be saying goodbye, joining the traditional Chelsea lap of appreciation at the end of the season after a 1-1 draw at home on Sunday. Newcastle United. Mount was ill-suited for the game but then came on.
If Mount moves to United it will be a major blow to Liverpool, in particular as Jurgen Klopp named him and Alexis Mac Allister from Brighton as key players in their own summer recovery.
Speaking at United's end-of-season awards ceremony on Monday night, Ten Hag said the club should aim higher and fight for the title. "We should work better" He said. “We have one more game left this season and this is a great opportunity to take the next big step. But then, after the summer, we have to raise the standards to perform even better. And you know, the competition is tough, our competitors will also reach higher levels.
"So we should at least do the same, but I don't think it' good enough. You must do much better. We don't want to stay here. We want to go higher, we want to improve our level and we want to compete for the top two. So we have to demand more and level up.”
In a separate interview with The Times, Ten Hag admitted that Captain Harry Maguire made a decision about his future this summer after falling out of service. "Let's say I'm happy that he's here, and when we needed him, he did his job. But it is also a decision he must make" the manager said.
Ten Hag said goalkeeper David De Gea would be at United next season but was unsure of the top spot, according to Telegraph Sport this month. “Yes, but I won't say he will always be my No. 1 because at a club like Manchester United there has to be competition in every position.” He said. "You can't do this with 11 players. This is impossible. You need double positions.
Recent Comments