Liverpool target Mason Mount looks likely to head to Manchester United instead of Anfield this summer.
Liverpool will be in the market for several additions this summer to strengthen ahead of 2023/24 as Jurgen Klopp looks to kickstart a new era at Anfield following the departures of multiple experienced assets.
Roberto Firmino, Naby Keita, James Milner, and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain have all left the building following their contracts expiring at Anfield and are unlikely to be the only players to seek a new challenge this summer.
In terms of potential additions, both Manu Kone and Ryan Gravenberch have been linked with the Reds. At the same time, Alexis Mac Allister has made his move to Anfield.
What’s the latest transfer news on Mason Mount?
Another name that had been mentioned in connection to Liverpool previously but now looks set to move elsewhere is Chelsea ace Mason Mount, who has agreed personal terms with Manchester United over a switch to Old Trafford, as per Football Insider.
The Football Insider report states that Manchester United and Chelsea are now ‘advancing’ over the conditions of the prospective transfer and it now looks like the Red Devils have beaten Liverpool to his signature.
And, it has been reported that Man United looks increasingly likely to sign the midfielder, though Chelsea’s valuation is a slight issue at the moment.
Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Dean Jones thinks that Liverpool will be inconvenienced by the fact that Mount looks set to move to Manchester United.
Jones told FFC: “I mean, it’d be annoying for sure [if Liverpool missed out on Mount]. I mean, they’ve been in the picture here and they’ve been kept in touch with what’s going on with Mason.”
Losing out on a player you’re interested in a rival isn’t an easy one to take, especially when you factor in that Mount fits Liverpool’s system and homegrown player dilemma. In 2022/23, the 24-year-old made 35 appearances for Chelsea in all competitions, registering three goals and six assists, as per Transfermarkt.
Following their failed pursuit of Jude Bellingham, Mount. who has been hailed as a “superstar”, and was thought of by some as an alternative target to the teenage sensation due to his energetic approach and eye for a pass. As per FBRef, Chelsea playmaker Mount has excelled compared to his positional peers across Europe’s top five divisions in the art of progressive passing, having completed around 5.95 per 90 minutes in the last 365 days, putting him in the seventh percentile for this metric.
WhoScored notes that Mount also carried a goal threat for Chelsea in 2022/23 from the middle of the park and averaged around 1.4 shots per game during the campaign.
Not by coincidence, Mount always seems to be well-regarded by his coaches, and former Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel singled him out for his application on and off the pitch at Stamford Bridge in an interview back in March 2022, stating: “It is always a pleasure to work with Mason because he is the kind of guy who comes with a smile on his face to every single training session. It is always 100 percent in matches, he accepts every challenge and that is why it is so nice to work with him.”
Manchester United are confident that they can get a deal done to sign Mount, though Erik Ten Hag is wary of the impact the ongoing battle for the ownership of the club may have on their transfer business, as per ESPN.
Nevertheless, it looks like Liverpool’s chance to nab Mount from Chelsea has fallen by the wayside, which is a shame given his suitability to Klopp’s tactical framework.
