By Ibrahim Danladi

Manchester United is facing the prospect of paying £70 million plus additional fees to secure the signing of Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount this summer. According to The Sun, United’s successful 2022/23 season, which saw them win the Carabao Cup and qualify for the Champions League, has prompted manager Erik ten Hag to target Mount as his primary transfer objective.

While personal terms with the England international have reportedly been agreed upon, United still need to finalize a transfer fee with Chelsea in order to secure his services. It has been revealed that Chelsea is seeking a fee of £70 million plus add-ons to part ways with their academy graduate. Alternatively, they might be willing to let Mount run down his contract if the desired fee is not met.

Ten Hag’s pursuit of Mount stands in contrast to his failed attempt to sign Frenkie de Jong from Barcelona last summer. Although United had agreed on a transfer fee, de Jong declined to negotiate personal terms. In the case of Mount, however, the 24-year-old has expressed his willingness to make the move, leaving United with the task of reaching an agreement with Chelsea.

Mount will enter the final year of his contract next month, making it highly unlikely that Chelsea would risk losing him on a free transfer at the end of the following season. Moreover, Chelsea needs to balance their financial books by June 30, following their significant £600 million spending spree over the past year. Mount is one of the players who could potentially be offloaded to meet this objective.

It is speculated that Chelsea may eventually lower their demands, and United might be able to secure Mount’s signature for a fee in the region of £50 million. This could be advantageous for United, as they could capitalize on Chelsea’s need to generate funds.