Man Utd ‘have four names on Mount alternatives list’ as Chelsea tension rises
Mason Mount dresses up as Spiderman with a football
Manchester United have four Mason Mount alternatives on a shortlist, according to reports. Erik ten Hag is eager to land the Chelsea star in this summer’s transfer window. With the Blues making a deal difficult to broker, however, the Red Devils could be forced to look elsewhere.
Manchester United have seen three bids for Mount turned down so far, with the Blues rejecting a latest bid of around £55million on Friday.
And with the saga starting to become protracted, the Red Devils could be forced to move on.
According to the Manchester Evening News, United have assembled a list of four alternatives in case they’re forced to pull the plug.
It’s claimed any of the names, who aren’t mentioned, would be ‘acceptable’ in the eyes of the club.
Yet Ten Hag has made Mount his priority and remains determined to bring the Chelsea star to Old Trafford this summer.
Read more… Man Utd risk upsetting Alejandro Garnacho as Erik ten Hag makes surprising plot
We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info
The report says, however, that United are unhappy with their rivals at present.
The Red Devils feel Chelsea are ‘overvaluing’ their academy graduate due to the fact the player is out of contract next year.
However, United’s bargaining position is ‘weakened’ by the tight budget they’re having to operate on.
Ten Hag’s side are having to be frugal while takeover talk continues to surround the club.
John Murtough apparently has his ‘hands tied’ as a result, with the Glazers still yet to decide what to do.
Don’t miss…
Sheikh Jassim snapped with three people as Man Utd takeover advances[LATEST]
Ratcliffe ally ‘making enquiries’ as Sheikh Jassim and Man Utd details drop[NEWS]
Man Utd could be about to sign another Ronaldo, Di Maria and Pogba[COMMENT]
Sheikh Jassim seems to be the frontrunner to buy United, having lodged five bids for the club so far.
Yet Sir Jim Ratcliffe still can’t be ruled out, with the INEOS chief quietly confident he’ll win the race instead.
United, as things stand, seem to be heading for a repeat of last summer.
Upon taking over from Ralf Rangnick, Ten Hag identified Frenkie de Jong as his top target – having previously worked with the midfielder at Ajax.
United spent all summer working on a deal, emboldened by the positive relationship between manager and player.
But, in the end, their efforts were wasted.
United were never able to sign De Jong and had to move on, with Casemiro arriving as an alternative instead.
And whether history repeats itself, as they look to sign Mount, is something only time will tell.
Meanwhile, former Aston Villa striker Gabriel Agbonlahor has opened up on the Mount transfer saga.
And he thinks United ‘should put the phone down on Chelsea’ due to the high demands of their Premier League rivals.
“I’d honestly say he’s worth £40million maximum,” Agbonlahor told Football Insider.
“If Chelsea ask for much more than that, I think Man United should put the phone down – because they aren’t being serious.
“Mount has been out of form, his stats aren’t great.
“Chelsea don’t want to give him a new contract, so surely it suits them to sell him?
“Man United should pull out if they can’t get something sorted, and that leaves Chelsea stuck with a player who is going to be available for free.
“I think Chelsea will have to stop being stubborn later in this window.
“£40m is about right, but even that is a lot of money for someone who has been out of form.”
Source: Read Full Article