Manchester United might have emerged as the new preferred destination for Mason Mount should he leave Chelsea this summer but all hope is not yet lost for Arsenal. With a keen eye on improving the depth, quality and energy of the Mikel Arteta midfield, Mount is an option that is being considered by the Gunners.
Alongside Declan Rice and Moises Caicedo, both deeper players, Mount is viewed as a serious candidate to fill the expected void left by Granit Xhaka at the end of the season. As well as his league experience, European pedigree and stylistic fit for Arteta, Mount's age profile and pre-existing relationship with several of Arsenal's England stars all make him a worthy choice.
It appears that he himself is more set on a move to the north of England if ongoing contract uncertainty isn't sown up with his boyhood club, though. The Red Devils have entered the conversation as they also look for a revamp in the centre of the park.
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Liverpool and Bayern Munich are also known to be interested in making him a big-name signing but the Athletic write that it is Erik Ten Hag's project that has his eye at the moment. That doesn't mean it's game over and back to the drawing board for Edu Gaspar and Arsenal.
It is said that United's priority heading into the window is for a new striker. Victor Osimhen, Harry Kane and Dusan Vlahovic are all among the names linked with them but none of those deals would be easy to complete. That opens up the chance for Arsenal to swoop in underneath the United nose.
There are also ongoing questions around the ownership situation at Old Trafford that may not only impact the budget available to Ten Hag but also how and when business is conducted. This creates yet more uncertainty that may well make a transfer more problematic to do.
Chelsea are reportedly ready to demand over £60m for the 24-year-old despite having just over 12 months left on his contract and this being far from a surprising outcome after talks between the player and club broke down long ago. The bigger the price tag the harder it is to finalise.
Arsenal are also the side here most focused on going for midfield reinforcement. When taken into account alongside United's priority laying elsewhere, a speedy transaction is one that would favour Chelsea due to their soft June 30 transfer deadline for financial reasons. Is also important for the incoming Mauricio Pochettino to have a settled squad as soon as possible.
Finally, although United have an English contingent boasting Harry Maguire, Marcus Rashford and Harry Maguire, Arsenal also have their own set of Three Lions to make Mount feel comfortable. Bukayo Saka has already signed a new deal in north London and Emile Smith Rowe and Ben White are others he has played alongside before.
The decision is ultimately most likely to rest with Mount and it may not matter what Arsenal do but they certainly have plenty of pros to offer him.
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