Mason Mount signed a five-year deal with Manchester United last week after making the move from Chelsea.
The England international said that he "can’t wait to be a part of this group’s drive to win major trophies", a statement that should excite United fans given Mount's influence on a Chelsea side who were crowned Champions League winners as recently as 2021.
And with options like Casemiro and Christian Eriksen to play alongside him, United now have a balanced midfield, having previously struggled to find the right formula in the engine room. But is it enough to start challenging for league titles?
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In truth, Mount doesn’t bring much to United that they don't already possess, but he does help with one of their key weaknesses: squad depth.
The Reds played a huge number of games last season – especially after the World Cup – and their brief title 'charge' was basically over before it began as they remained in three cup competitions until the end of February.
Mount will need to rediscover the form that saw him win Chelsea’s Player of the Year two seasons in a row, as there was a noticeable dip in his performance levels last season. That being said, the Chelsea side he was underperforming in was a total shambles.
There will be plenty of competition for places, as Scott McTominay, Fred and Donny van de Beek will all be vying for minutes should United fail to offload them this summer.
But his addition may allow Erik ten Hag to change things in midfield when looking to make in-game tweaks, as United clearly suffered from an inability to move to a plan B last season when plan A wasn't doing the trick.
This season that could all change, and the competition Mount’s signing brings can only be a good thing for United's quest for success.
United travel to Oslo to face Leeds on Wednesday, and Ten Hag's starting XI will definitely have an unfamiliar look about it given the number of senior players who have not travelled.
Mount could make his debut in midfield, though he could even be tasked with playing further forward, with United's attacking options hardly stacked. Finding players capable of playing in a number of different positions can be key for any side with a fixture list as hectic as United's, and Mount's versatility could prove to be the most important thing he brings to the club.
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