Manchester United will reportedly not pay more than £60m for Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount, who is keen on a switch to Old Trafford.
The Red Devils saw an opening offer of £40m knocked back on Wednesday. But, Erik ten Hag is still keen to get a deal over the line.
However, with just one year remaining on Mount’s Chelsea contract, Man Utd aren’t willing to pay over the odds.
It’s going to be a summer of change at Chelsea, with Mauricio Pochettino tipped to lose several key players.
For instance, N’Golo Kante has already agreed to join Saudi club Al Ittihad. Also, Kai Havertz is linked with a sensational move to Arsenal, and many others could leave Stamford Bridge this summer.
It was clear that Chelsea’s squad was oversized in 2022/23. So, departures could be positive for Pochettino. Although, Mount is not one of the players they want to lose.
This is evidenced by the fact that they have already rejected a bid of £40m from Man Utd. And, Chelsea have reportedly slapped a £70m price tag on Mount.
This could prove to be a problem for Man Utd. According to CBS Sports, Man Utd will lodge a second bid, but will not pay more than £60m for the England international.
In one sense, that is good for Chelsea, as it increases the likelihood that Mount will stay at Chelsea. On the other hand, it also increases the chance that they could lose him on a free next summer.
It’s no secret that Ten Hag is looking to bring in new midfielders. Indeed, Scott McTominay has been heavily linked with a departure from Old Trafford, while Fred could also leave in the near future.
So, the Red Devils will need to bring in replacements for both of those players and Mount is a solid, relatively young option.
Since breaking into the Chelsea first team in 2019, the midfielder has made 195 appearances for the club. In the process, he has scored 33 goals and made 37 assists.
Of course, he also played a key role in Chelsea’s Champions League-winning campaign in 2021. Also, he is a regular in the England national team.
Therefore, there is no doubt that Mount has the quality to perform at the highest level.
With that in mind, it will be interested to see if Chelsea buckle under the pressure, and sell Mount to Man Utd for less than their £70m price tag.
If they don’t, they could end up losing him on a free next summer, which would be a financial disaster.