Mason Mount has completed his move to Manchester United. Credit: Getty Images
Mason Mount completed his £60m move to Manchester United. and showed that negotiating with Erik ten Hag was an important part of his decision.
The England midfielder was Ten Hag's first choice to boost his midfield this summer and the 24-year-old has signed a five-year deal with the option of another season.
He published an emotional post for Chelsea fans on the eve of his move after spending 18 years at the club and winning the Champions League.
“It's never easy to leave the club you grew up with, but Manchester United will be an exciting new challenge for the next phase of my career,” he said. “Competing with them, I know how strong the team I'm joining is, and I can't wait to be part of this group that strives to win major trophies.
“Everyone can see that the club has made great strides forward under the leadership Erika ten Haga. Having met with the manager and discussed his plans, I am very excited about the upcoming seasons and ready for the hard work that is expected here.
“I am very ambitious. I know how great it is to win big trophies and what it takes. I will do my best to experience it again at Manchester United.
The Telegraph Sports Analysis Why Ten Hag wanted Mount at United
Mike McGrath
Before after kicking the ball for the Chelsea first team, Mason Mount was expected to be the winner of the match at the highest level.
He had just arrived in Arnhem, the Dutch city where the epic war film A Bridge Too Far was filmed, and the home of Vitesse, who also took Matt Miazga, Fankati Dabo, Charlie Colkett and Mukhtar Ali away from Stamford Bridge that season. Nevertheless, Mount's reputation stood above his fellow loaners and free transfers from Cobham.
In the same year, France Football magazine listed 12 future “monsters” of the sport, including Kylian Mbappe, who already played football in the Champions League. The list included Vinicius Junior, Gianluigi Donnarumma and Ousmane Dembele. And then there was Mount.
On the fields of the Chelsea academy in Surrey and in youth football, he has attracted attention as a rare quality in an English midfielder who leads his team forward, manages games from a central position and creates winning chances for his team with goals and assists.
Mason Mount brings midfield elegance to @ManUtd ✨ pic.twitter.com/N95k4PLmmf
— Premier League (@premierleague), July 5, 2023
This is why Manchester United are investing £60 million in Mount. That's a huge sum for a player who would be a free transfer at the end of next season, with a £55m guaranteed fee, with the rest coming in the form of bonuses. That's more than what Chelsea paid for Raheem Sterling last season in a similar position, but at Old Trafford the deal is seen as both a good deal and a smart move for Ten Hag.
Ten Hag wanted a midfielder from the moment he stepped into United's headquarters in Carrington. He targeted Frenkie de Jong, who could steal the ball from his centre-backs and dictate the game with his passes. Although this deal never went through, Casemiro's arrival as No. 6 was successful, as was Christian Eriksen's free transfer.
The mount will be further down the field, but as No. 8 – or even more advanced – will give Ten Hag a different dimension to how his team attacks. The 24-year-old will be non-stop energetic in and out of possession and with cool touches when he hits key areas. He proved to be one of England's top scorers, scoring four goals in 10 appearances ahead of the last Euro.
Ten Haag will look to capitalize on the qualities that Frank Lampard developed during Mount's next loan spell at Derby County before they worked together in the Chelsea first team. Mount's game is not much different from his mentor's game of running into the box and constantly threatening to score a goal. His pressing also made him a coach's dream in a modern way of pressuring opponents.
Mason Mount is an experienced player despite being 24 years old. Photo: Getty Images 
Mason Mount signed a contract until June 2028. Photo: Getty Images
United fans will see him next season as No. 8 or No. 10. He can also play as a flank attacking midfielder. What he does on the field is not always obvious and is reflected in the best moments of the match of the day. As data from the World Cup showed, some of his actions off the ball were no less important. The official record of the World Cup draw against the United States, England's tightest group game, shows him doing the most sprints (62) in the match, while only Declan Rice cleared over his 11,038m.
However, Mount was the first player to force a save from an opposing goaltender, one of only three saves, with only Harry Kane having more shots on goal. His club and country managers are wondering why there is even debate about Mount and what he brings to the team, even though they know some of the unsung elements of his game, even if his goalscoring and assists are healthy.
“He is an exceptional player. He finds space intelligently, manipulates the ball very well, creates chances and can score goals,” explained England manager Gareth Southgate. When he selected Mount for the Euro 2020 final, he was in the 4-3-3 front line, but his assist in the Champions League final a couple of months ago was from a deeper position.
While he was sidelined last season as his Chelsea career came to an end, his time was certainly not too far a bridge to his club. A prodigy from the Academy who won the Champions League from Cobham. It is precisely the qualities that he was instilled that Ten Hag will want to see.
Recent Comments