Man Utd transfers: Why Mason Mount was wanted by Erik ten Hag at Old Trafford
Erik ten Hag first bumped into Mason Mount when he was Ajax head coach. On loan at Vitesse Arnhem, the 18-year-old's free-kick led to his side's third goal as they beat Ajax 3-2 in March 2018.
Ten Hag, then in charge of just his eighth game at Ajax, reportedly tried to sign Mount for the Dutch club on loan from Chelsea the following season. Fourteen goals and 10 assists in his first full campaign of senior football, largely from central midfield, had caught Ten Hag's attention.
Now, after a difficult fourth season for Mount at Chelsea and a chaotic first year under the club's new owners, Manchester United have signed the 24-year-old on a five-year deal for an initial £55m rising to £60m.
Sky Sports News understands the deal includes a potential £5m of add-ons strongly dependent on appearances and success.
Chelsea knew this was the time to cash in on a player who had just one year left on his contract at Stamford Bridge. Ten Hag has now got his man.
Earlier in the 2022/23 season, following the arrivals of Casemiro (£70m) and Christian Eriksen (free) last summer, the midfield looked to have become an area of strength at United, at least in terms of first-choice options.
Ten Hag's go-to trio of Casemiro, Eriksen and Bruno Fernandes lost just once last season when starting together which backs that up. However, when Fred, Scott McTominay and Donny van de Beek were called upon there was a marked drop-off in quality.
In addition to that, as the campaign wore on, it became clear that Eriksen, while unique to the other options at Ten Hag's disposal for the control he brought in possession, struggled to compete at his peak for the full 90 minutes. After Christmas, the Denmark international completed just one of the 15 games he started.
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