da realbet： The Red Devils have finally agreed a deal to sign the England international – but their money would have been better spent elsewhere

da realsbet： Mason Mount was supposed to be Mr. Chelsea. Frank Lampard's protégé joined the Blues' academy ranks as a six-year-old way back in 2005, and graduated into the first team squad 12 years later with bags of potential and enthusiasm.

After successful loan spells at Vitesse and Derby County, he made his breakthrough at Stamford Bridge in 2019-20 under Lampard, and quickly became a key player. Mount's versatility made him a useful asset for Chelsea, as he can shift between traditional No.8 and No.10 roles seamlessly and fill in out wide in a front three or as a holding midfielder.

The England international picked up back-to-back Player of the Season awards at Chelsea in 2020-21 and 2021-22 while becoming a Champions League winner, and was also very highly regarded by Lampard's successor, Thomas Tuchel. "He is very mature and at the same time has this young player’s sparkle in his eyes," the German coach said after his first few months at the club.

But that sparkle disappeared last season. Tuchel lost his job after a poor start to the campaign and Chelsea suffered an alarming decline under his replacement, Graham Potter, before Lampard was drafted back in as interim manager. Chelsea ended up finishing 12th in the Premier League, with Mount only managing to contribute three goals and two assists to their cause.

The 24-year-old was without question one of the worst performers in an over-inflated squad. And yet, he became Manchester United's primary transfer target at the start of the summer window. The Red Devils tabled three rejected bids for Mount, before caving and agreeing to a deal worth the £60 million ($76m) the Blues were hoping for, despite the fact his contract is due to expire in 2024.

United could have walked away from the deal entirely if the Blues were not willing to compromise, which may have been for the best. Mount is most certainly not the kind of signing that will excite the Old Trafford faithful and make them optimistic about a potential title charge in 2023-24.

Getty'I wouldn’t be hanging my hat on Mason Mount'

United's pursuit of Mount hasn't only caused confusion among the fans, with club legends also left baffled by Ten Hag's decision to target the Chelsea midfielder. Roy Keane expressed his concerns when quizzed on the transfer reports in May.

"I wouldn’t be hanging my hat too much on Mason Mount, in terms of improving United and closing the gap," he told . "I think he’s a good player but would he improve Manchester United? I’m not so sure. He’s just gone missing this last year or two."

Paul Scholes echoed his former team-mate's sentiments, telling : "Look, I like Mason Mount…[But] does he do enough? I thought when he first came onto the scene, 'Have we got a new Frank Lampard?’ I expected him to score goals, a lot more goals, in big games, to win you games, but he hasn’t really kicked on from there."

The general consensus on Mount is clear: He's a good player, but not a great one. He's not someone who is going to take games by the scruff of the neck or produce individual moments of brilliance to open up defences. In fact, Mount is often guilty of misplacing or overhitting his passes when he finds himself in space deep in the opposition's half.

It's no coincidence that Mount started to see his minutes reduced at Chelsea last term amid their £600m splurge on new talent. He only started 20 Premier League games for the Blues and largely failed to make an impact when he was on the pitch.

United need game-changers right now, and Mount simply does not fall into that bracket. It could also be argued that a man who was once regarded as one of Chelsea's brightest future prospects has already hit his peak.

AdvertisementGettyNo guarantee of regular minutes

Anyone that closely followed Ten Hag's career at Ajax will understand why he has singled out Mount. The Chelsea star could have fit quite nicely into his 4-3-3 setup at the Johan Cruyff ArenA, but he has favoured a different approach during his time at Old Trafford.

Last season, United would typically play in a 4-2-3-1 system, with Casemiro and Christian Eriksen sitting deep, Bruno Fernandes occupying the No.10 spot and Marcus Rashford and Antony deployed on the flanks. Fitting Mount into that line-up could be a difficult task.

A straight swap for Eriksen would be the most logical move, especially given the Dane's underwhelming performances towards the back end of the 2022-23 campaign. But Mount's best qualities would be wasted in defensive midfield.

He is at his best when pressing the opposition high up the pitch, as he often wins the ball back before kick-starting dangerous counter-attacks. Mount inspired Chelsea's 2021 Champions League final win against Manchester City by doing exactly that.

Ten Hag will have to change formation to ensure Mount can operate as an attacker, perhaps by switching to three at the back and pushing Aaron Wan-Bissaka up next to Casemiro. But United don't really need a player of his ilk.

West Ham's Declan Rice and Brighton star Moises Caicedo have also been strongly linked with moves to Old Trafford this summer. Both men would have more to offer the Red Devils than Mount, though Rice is obviously now off the market after Arsenal agreed a deal to sign the West Ham star.

Casemiro needs a stronger midfield partner, someone capable of breaking up play and dictating the pace of games from deep. Fred and Scott McTominay are not quite up to the required standard, and Eriksen appears to be past his best.

If United fill that position this summer, they will be a much stronger side. But Mount won't be a transformative signing. He could even be more of a hindrance than a help, as Ten Hag would need to tinker with a winning formula in order to accommodate him.

GettyEnglish tax trap

Chelsea had held out hope of persuading Mount to extend his contract, and it had been reported that new boss Mauricio Pochettino wanted him to remain at the club. Mount, though, was said to be demanding a salary that would bring him up into Chelsea's section of top earners, which includes his England team-mate Reece James – who is reportedly pocketing £250,000 ($318,000) per year.

But the fact is, Mount isn't worth that kind of salary. And he's certainly not worth the initial £55m Manchester United have committed to pay for him, with a further £5m potentially to come in add-ons.

United have had to pay a premium to push a deal over the line, which is now par for the course when trying to sign young homegrown players. And it's not the first time that the Red Devils have been stung by the 'English tax'.

Harry Maguire became the world's most expensive defender when he moved to Old Trafford from Leicester City in 2019, as United forked out £80m ($100m) to bring him onto their books. Fast-forward four years, and Maguire is on the verge of an exit, having spectacularly failed to live up to that price tag.

United have been mocked relentlessly for their purchase of Maguire, and it's madness that they have chosen to invest a similar amount in his England colleague. Mount won't be anything more than a squad player at Old Trafford, which is why £40m should have been a take-it-or-leave-it offer.

GettyTen Hag has more pressing concerns

Even if United shifted focus away from Mount and on to an alternative, they would still have been wasting valuable time. Strengthening in midfield really shouldn't have been Ten Hag's priority.

Rashford was the club's top goalscorer last season with a highly respectable total of 30 across all competitions, but most of those efforts came when he was playing from the left. Fernandes was next on United's list with 14 goals, and injury-plagued Anthony Martial came in third on nine.

Burnley loanee Wout Weghorst, meanwhile, only scored three goals in 31 appearances after moving to Old Trafford in January. Ten Hag is in desperate need of a natural No.9, especially while City are blowing away all-comers with Erling Haaland upfront.

The Dutchman is well aware of the problem, as he told in April: "We need a striker who scores goals because we have ability in the team to put balls in the box, so we need a striker to finish. We have to build a new future and we need a striker who not only scores goals but contributes by linking up play very well and pressing, which is very important."

Tottenham's Harry Kane was long mooted as United's top target, but they have been priced out of a potential move. That shouldn't mean Ten Hag settles for Mount. United have also been credited with an interest in Napoli's Victor Osimhen, Eintracht Frankfurt star Kolo Randal Muani and Atalanta's Rasmus Hojlund. The time to swoop is now.

Once the Red Devils have a proper goalscorer in place, it will be a necessity for them to sign a new goalkeeper. Progress was made last season under Ten Hag, with a top-four finish secured alongside the Carabao Cup, but they might have achieved even more were it not for David de Gea.

The Spaniard has been making basic errors for years, and United can't afford to rely on him as their last line of defence for another season. Sorting out those two positions really could be the difference between success and failure in 2023-24.

Mount definitely shouldn't have been top of the agenda, not if United are serious about closing the gap on City.