Unlike some websites, the BBC aren’t in the business of reporting an endless cycle of rumours and incremental updates on transfers – when they report it, you can be fairly confident it’s happening.
So the news on their sport website published just 5 minutes ago that Manchester United are “optimistic” about signing a deal for Mason Mount very soon. There is “no sign” of a “successful resolution over talks” about a new contract.
Erik Ten Hag’s team need a striker above all this summer, but Mount’s attacking abilities have caught their eye – along with the eyes of Arsenal, Liverpool and plenty of other top teams.
All the reports of the last few days are that personal terms are already agreed between the player and his potential new club, and it will just come down to Chelsea and United agreeing on a fee.
The piece reiterates again that Chelsea “would prefer not to lose the England player” – well in that case, offer him a contract that makes him want to stay! It doesn’t seem like the arrival of Mauricio Pochettino will make a difference.
It’s not even going to be a saga – the Red Devils are going to be able to simply swoop in and take one of our star players just like that. It’s painful to watch. At least it sounds like it will be over quickly, and we won’t be dragged through the agony for a whole summer.
Makes no difference that there’s no new news to report, SuperFrank WILL FIND a reason EVERY DAY to moan about losing his Golden Boy, lol! And he’ll make it sound like it’s the club’s fault for not giving Mount anything (indeed, everything!) he wants. Meanwhile, SuperFrank studious avoids any meaningful discussion of why Mount deserves the money he’s demanding (apparently a 200% rise from 80k to 250k/week, like Reece James).
The best SuperFrank has offered is that Mount is more durable than Reece James, but he seems to have conveniently ignored that Mount played in only 14 games after Christmas (the exact same number, incidentally, as James)! In that time, Mount scored just one goal and collected a grand total of ZERO assists. He finished the season on three goals and four assists. Certainly we can credit Mount with having performed very well the prior three seasons, but not 250k-well! James is among the top right backs in the world, while Mount, even on his best day, can’t make the claim that he’s in the top 10 at his position. Meanwhile, when the chips were down and Mount was under pressure to perform in a “contract year” (that is, to back his wage demands with his play this past season), he fizzled. Shouldn’t this cause everyone to pause and worry about whether he can handle the pressure to perform that would accompany becoming one of the top paid players at the club? Certainly it appears to have done so with the club hierarchy, but I guess it’s easier to make unreasonable arguments like SuperFrank’s from the comfort of the cheap seats.
So why is it, SuperFrank, that you argue the club MUST meet Mount’s demands? Leave off with the overly sentimental moaning and give us some real analysis that shows how/why Mount is worth that kind of money.