Manchester United are starting to do their business this summer, ahead of an expectedly busy transfer window, but so far, no major moves have been made. Erik Ten Hag wants to improve his squad swiftly, but also properly, and not splash huge sums of money just for the sake of buying players. That strategy will definitely be popular with the club board, who will therefore probably not make mistakes similar to those of Harry Maguire or Aaron Wan-Bissaka. But how quickly those moves will be possible to be made remains to be seen. Right now, we are already seeing some problems.
Will United Sign Mason Mount?
Clearly, we are talking about the potential deal for Mason Mount. Manchester United are interested in Chelsea’s dynamic midfielder. He is an England international, someone with plenty of experience, but also a player getting closer to his end of contract with the Blues. He is a domestic player and someone who could nicely fit in Erik Ten Hag’s system. Although not identical players, Mount has a unique skillset which could give him a role resembling that of Donny van de Beek from his time at Ajax, when he was given licence to ‘do his thing’ with and without the ball. But is this move actually going to happen?
As of now, we are closer to realising it is a ‘no’, although nothing is over just yet. According to the media reports, Man United offered 55 million pounds for Mount which Chelsea are not ready to accept. The Times claim such offer will be left on the table and there could still be room for a compromise with Chelsea, if they are willing to enter talks about closing out a deal at around that mark. They also claim Man United believe Chelsea are applying a sort of a ‘Manchester United tax’ to this deal, comparing how eager they were to deal with Manchester City in the Mateo Kovacic deal which was almost half the price – 30 million pounds.
Caicedo Is The New Target
While Man United are waiting to see whether Chelsea can be put back into negotiations for Mount, they are also making their moves elsewhere. According to The Times, Man United are now pursuing a deal for Moises Caicedo, Brighton’s midfielder, who is not the same type of player as Mount. They will now intensify their efforts for a potential deal, although this move would cost United much more. Reportedly, Brighton want 80 million pounds, a lot more than what Chelsea want for Mount. However, Caicedo is a younger player with a higher potential ceiling, and also has a different contract situation.
Whatever happens from now on, United are clearly ready to adjust their course even in a considerable fashion, just so they can strengthen. The Ecuadorian is a proper box-to-box midfielder, who has been great for Brighton in both directions. He shone defensively as well as in attack, which is in stark comparison to what Mount could offer United. If the Devils were to sign him instead of Mount, however, it will show a shift in United’s thinking and fast adjustment for a different direction amid the unexpected nature of the transfer market.
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