Man United have been heavily linked with a move to sign Mason Mount over the last week or so. The FA Cup final defeat perfectly highlighted why.
Manchester United Football Club ended the season on a low point, losing the Manchester derby FA Cup final, though the lads absolutely gave it their all.
The game itself played out as you’d expect. City were the dominant side for large portions, though United made a good go of it, particularly after conceding so early. Eventually, the difference in played quality proved to be the pivotal factor.
It’s why this summer transfer window is so vital for Erik ten Hag. He’s now been in the job for long enough to know where his weaknesses are. He now needs the backing to address those issues.
Mason Mount’s name has come up a fair bit over the last week or so. The Englishman could be about to leave Chelsea this summer, with United super keen on bringing him in.
It left many scratching their heads. After all, a new striker and goalkeeper felt like the big needs – until the FA Cup final gave us all clarity on the situation.
The Christian Eriksen weakness
City dominated midfield. That’s the key to winning any football match. They were bypassing Christian Eriksen far too easily, with the Dane’s defensive abilities (or lack of) consistently being exposed and attacked. Mount represents a direct upgrade in this side of the game. He has the energy, physicality and desire to neutralise opposing midfielders. It’d immediately make United more competitive in a key battle, allowing the Red Devils to get on the ball more.
This is why you have a squad. Eriksen is still a better option in those games where teams sit back and deploy the low block, as he’s still superior to Mount when it comes to those defence-splitting passes.
A direct upgrade on Fred
Alright, so let’s say you want to keep Eriksen in the team for his creativity and offensive influence, but you always want the energy and pressing ability. Mount is just a straight-up upgrade on Fred in pretty much every aspect.
The Englishman is just as good at bringing energy and effort to the table, while being a superior forward passer, a better dribbler while also having a more consistent positional awareness. He’s also far younger than the Brazilian.
Depth is needed
You look at the difference in the benches during yesterday’s FA Cup final. City could call on Phil Foden, Riyad Mahrez and countless other top tier footballers. United had Alejandro Garnacho, then a lot of ‘meh’.
Mount does not only represent an upgrade on the starting line-up but the squad overall. It’s going to be a slow process to match City in that regard, but you absolutely have to start somewhere.
Big-game player
It doesn’t get much bigger than an FA Cup final. Without naming names, the situation looked above some players in Red yesterday. Mount has featured for Chelsea in some of the biggest matches any professional footballer could play in.
This season aside, Chelsea have largely been competing for the top trophies. He’s also won a Champions League final while at Stamford Bridge. The more players with that winning mentality in this squad, the better.
The problem?
Transfer fee. Chelsea will demand big bucks to let their homegrown hero leave, even despite the fact he can walk away for nothing next summer.
My gut feeling says that United will eventually cave into Chelsea’s demands. They need Mount now. Not in twelve months’ time.
Do you think a Man United move for Mason Mount would be good business? Let us know your thoughts in the comment box below.
