Man Utd? Arsenal? Liverpool? Who really needs Mason Mount?

Sam McGuire

• 3 Jun 2023 11:52 BST
• 5 min read

With the Jude Bellingham saga seemingly nearing an end, all eyes are now firmly fixed on Mason Mount. The Chelsea midfielder looks set to leave Stamford Bridge this summer having failed to agree a new contract with the 2020/21 Champions League winners.

Initial reports seemed to suggest Liverpool were favourites for his signature if he did call time on his Chelsea career despite interest from Arsenal. There had been some suggestion that the Gunners wanted to pair him in midfield with Declan Rice. However, the ever-reliable David Ornstein of The Athletic revealed last week that the 24-year-old now favours a move to Manchester United.

The Red Devils secured a return to Champions League football with a third-placed finish in the Premier League this season and the suggestion in the media seems to be that Erik Ten Hag is going to be backed once again this summer as they look to build on his debut campaign.

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This won’t be a straightforward deal with Chelsea desperate to keep Mount, despite his contract situation. They have reportedly slapped a €98 million pricetag on his head, a fee most clubs would baulk at given he’s available for nothing at the end of the 2023/24 campaign.

It does seem excessive and yet it isn’t far off his Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of €89.9m. So maybe the Blues are right to be bullish in this situation.

If it turns into a bidding war, it is difficult to look past Manchester United. The FA Cup finalists have the money to outbid most teams in world football and their project is a lot more intriguing than it was 12 months ago, especially with Champions League football being played at Old Trafford next season.

However, if Mount did have the final decision in where he was to end up and all interested clubs had equal bids accepted, where might be best for the 36-cap England international. We thought we’d assess his options.

Liverpool

It is no secret that the Reds are in dire need of a midfield rebuild.

Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and James Milner have all played their last game of football for the club, there’s some uncertainty over the future of Thiago after another injury-hit season while Fabio Carvalho, a player Jurgen Klopp said could be used as part of a three-man midfield, appears to be heading towards the exit door.

Jordan Henderson isn’t getting any younger and, after opting to pull out of the race to sign Jude Bellingham, Mount would’ve been a natural replacement for the Liverpool skipper on the right-hand side.

Mount has previously stated that he sees himself as a No8 and he’d be perfectly suited to that role for the Reds, especially in this new-look 3-2-2-3 shape. He’s comfortable in central and wide areas and, in theory, he’d be an ideal counterweight to Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mohamed Salah on that side of the pitch. He would be a facilitator.

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Arsenal

Granit Xhaka is leaving the club this summer with a return to the Bundesliga on the agenda for the Switzerland international.

Few would’ve envisaged the former Arsenal skipper becoming such an important player in this Mikel Arteta system, but he was an he now needs to be replaced. The 30-year-old finished the season with two goals against Wolves to take his tally to seven in the Premier League. He also chipped in with seven assists.

Mount is one of the few midfielders in the Premier League who can hit those numbers. He had a disappointing 2022/23 campaign but did score 11 times and assist on 10 occasions during the 2021/22 season. Granted, he wasn’t playing exclusively as a midfielder that season.

The left-sided centre-midfield role for Arsenal is quite flexible, with Xhaka often appearing higher up the pitch while creating space for Gabriel Martinelli. Mount played a similar position for England at the World Cup and though he wasn’t at his best, it is a position that plays to his strengths.

Arsenal have options within their team already but few are as established as Mount at this current time. He would be amongst the goals.

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Manchester United

Whereas for Liverpool and Arsenal Mount would likely be used in the final third, for United he would probably be a middle third option.

Ten Hag likes the 4-3-2-1 system and though Mount could play in any of the three positions behind the striker, you could see the Dutch tactician using the 24-year-old in a double pivot alongside Casemiro.

He used Christian Eriksen there this season and the Danish playmaker does share some traits with Mount. However, the Chelsea man is a little more athletic as well as being quicker over short and long distances. It is a role that would make the most of England international’s on-ball ability.

Mount would be a second phase player for United, moving the ball into the final third for the likes of Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Antony.