adminMason Mount had another ‘colorless’ performance.
United played its fifth preseason game against Real Madrid at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, on July 27 at 9:30 p.m. ET. The result was a 0-2 United loss. The Red Devils’ new No. 7 was unable to break out of a slump against Real following their last match against Arsenal.
From the outset of the summer transfer window, United manager Eric ten Hagg was looking for solid reinforcements in three positions: striker, central midfielder, and goalkeeper. One of his first targets was central midfielder, Mount.
Mount is a 1999-born midfielder from the Chelsea youth ranks who is a homegrown English international. He is known for his work rate, competition in the middle of the park, and league-proven kicking ability.
In the 2021/2022 season, he was one of the most sought-after players in the Premier League, scoring 11 goals and providing 10 assists in 32 Premier League games to record his first 10-10 (10 goals, 10 assists).
United’s boardroom has been busy trying to get their hands on Mount within a limited budget of £120 million.
In the end, United agreed to pay £55 million in transfer fees. An additional option was acquired from Chelsea for a total transfer fee of £60 million ($82 billion) with a £5 million ($99.2 billion) release clause.
United signed midfield maestro Christian Eriksen as a free agent last summer, but Eriksen’s fitness and mobility did not allow him to play a full season for United.
Van Gaal looked for an alternative and found it in Mount, who he had been eyeing since his loan spell at Dutch side Vitesse.
Mount has played in four preseason games since joining United this summer. He started today’s match against Real Madrid. 안전놀이터
In this game, however, Mount wasn’t expected to provide any offense. Even the contested numbers, which are based on his strengths of being active, failed him in five of his eight attempts according to the ‘Sofa score’ statistic. Add to that the fact that he lost possession of the ball seven times, let alone breaking off the dribble, and you have a recipe for a tough battle in the United midfield.
Currently, United’s midfield has several options, including the newly-captained Bruno Fernandes, as well as Casemiro, Christian Eriksen, Fred, Scott McTominay, and Donny van der Beek.
Of the contenders, Fred is the most likely to leave the club, with a move to Turkish side Galatasaray or Fulham a likely destination.
To fill the void left by Fred, United have held initial talks to sign Sophien Amrabat, who led his country Morocco to the quarterfinals of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, reports Sky Sports’ Darmes Seth. The estimated transfer fee is around €25 million.
With Amrabat’s transfer links getting stronger and Eriksen’s form still on the rise, it’s urgent for the Mount to improve their form as soon as possible.