Mason Mount's next club decision is obvious amid Man Utd exit talk and Aston Villa and Spurs interest
The Old Trafford midfielder is being touted for a transfer this summer
They say hindsight sees in 20/20. When Mason Mount signed for Manchester United last summer having failed to agree terms on an contract renewal with boyhood club Chelsea, the common consensus was that the Red Devils had pulled off a fairly significant coup. One year later, and we are already reading reports suggesting that the midfielder could be on his way out of Old Trafford.
As far as debut campaigns go, Mount’s introduction to life in Manchester was fairly nightmarish. Pockmarked with injury and marred by dips in form, the 25-year-old registered just 514 minutes of Premier League football and one goal as the burden of the Red Devils’ iconic number seven shirt weighed heavy on his shoulders. Indeed, given the £55 million that United paid to prise him away from Stamford Bridge, there is a strong argument to be made for Mount being one of the least cost effective signings of the season.
And it is in this context that HITC suggest that the Red Devils side are willing to listen to offers for Mount over the coming weeks. The online outlet claim that during extensive talks between Erik ten Hag and the club’s board, the England international has been identified as one prospective high profile departure, alongside faltering Brazilian winger Antony.
Furthermore, Mount would seemingly have no shortage of suitors. According to HITC, several Premier League clubs have been made aware of his situation - including Aston Villa, Tottenham Hotspur, and Newcastle United - and these sides have been spoken to by intermediaries. In particular, Villa and Spurs are said to be ‘keen’ on the player.
But perhaps his best option, for the time being at least, would be to stay and fight for his place at Old Trafford. Mount is under contract with United until 2028, with the club also having the option to extend his deal by a further year if they see fit. In other words, they are in no danger of losing him on a free transfer any time soon, and as such, there may be a certain logic to granting him another year to prove his worth to Ten Hag’s project.
On his day, Mount can be a superbly influential attacking presence; he showed as much on many, many occasions during his time with Chelsea. To that end, last season was nowhere near representative of his best work, and that was largely due to his fitness woes. In total, the midfielder missed 24 Premier League matches entirely, and a calf problem in particular kept him sidelined for an extended spell between November and March. It is little wonder, therefore, that he struggled for rhythm, that he never properly bedded into his new surroundings.
But perhaps he should not be written off just yet. With a full preseason and a little bit of patience, there is every reason to believe that Mount can coax himself back to the level of performance that convinced United to spend so much money on him in the first place. Worst case scenario, he fails to shine again in the coming months, and United look to move him on next summer instead. Surely, that has to be a more prudent approach to their investment than simply offloading him at the first realistic opportunity.