FED UP Ten Hag targets SHOCK USMNT star as Man Utd Mount alternatives revealed

Tom Weber

• Updated: 26 Jun 2023 10:07 BST
• 3 min read

Manchester United are looking at alternatives to Mason Mount, ESPN reports.

The Chelsea midfielder is still seen as Erik ten Hag's top target, but negotiations with the Blues have been anything but smooth. United have therefore inquired about alternatives, and one of them is quite surprising, to say the least.

Chelsea have rejected three bids from United for Mount. On Friday, an offer of more than €64 million was also rejected by the London club. The Blues are hoping for a bid of €68m plus €8m in bonuses for the 24-year-old Englishman, whose contract expires in a year.

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However, United believe that Mount is being way overvalued and are not prepared to part with that much. The Red Devils are convinced their offer is more in line with his real value given the playmaker's contract situation and desire to move to Old Trafford.

The FootballTransfers algorithm estimates the Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of the 36-time international at €68.9m.

Ten Hag's alternatives

A challenging transfer window awaits Manchester United. Ten Hag is working with a relatively small budget this season but still wants to strengthen in several positions. In addition to reinforcements in midfield, a new striker and a new keeper must also be recruited.

This means that the Manchester club is ready to move on from the Mount deal, with Ten Hag said to be sick of dawdling. Therefore, United are exploring other options, the most high-profile one being Moises Caicedo.

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They are, however, also targeting Ajax's Mohammed Kudus, according to ESPN, and, surprisingly, Utrecht's Taylor Booth. Kudus has been linked with a Ten Hag reunion for some time, but Booth is a new name.

The one-time USMNT midfielder signed for the Eredivisie club last summer from Bayern Munich's reserves and has apparently impressed Ten Hag enough for him to inquire about his availability.

The 22-year-old scored twice and made four assists last term, and he would be a much, much cheaper option to most players being floated in connection with United.