Erik ten Hag and Manchester United are going to make a serious attempt to take over Mason Mount from Chelsea, it has been reported The Athletic. The Chelsea midfielder has been negotiating a contract extension for some time, but has not yet reached an agreement. Ten Hag hopes to benefit from the impasse and is preparing an offer of more than 63 million euros. Chelsea hopes to catch a sloppy 100 million.
It’s a soap opera that’s been going on for months at Stamford Bridge. Mount feels undervalued and would like to earn at least as much as some well-paid teammates. The midfielder is entering the last year of his contract, which means he is strong in the negotiations. According to sources around the club, an agreement will no longer be reached, making rumors of a departure increasingly persistent.
One of the candidates for Mount’s signature is United. The Mancunians would have 63 million euros left for the services of the former Vitessenaar, an amount that is further below the target amount of 97 million euros. However, United are expected to increase the amount even further, as Ten Hag would be determined to add Mount to his squad. He himself has expressed his preference for United. Arsenal and Liverpool, who are also interested, would be aware of this.
Someone who can form a serious stumbling block for Ten Hag is Mauricio Pochettino. The Chelsea manager-to-be is a huge admirer of Mount and would like to see him extend his contract. The Englishman could play a leading role in midfield next season. However, it is doubtful whether Chelsea will rekindle talks about a new contract. The American owners have spent more than 600 million euros in the past two transfer periods and ignored Mount.
There is therefore a good chance that the Londoners will choose eggs for their money and sell Mount this summer, given the risk that he will walk out the door for free next season. English media expect talks between United and Chelsea to start soon, as Mount has expressed his clear preference and Ten Hag is charmed by the services of the midfielder. The Haaksbergen resident will then have to add water to the wine, as the difference between supply and demand is still huge.