Manchester United have found a middle ground with Chelsea over a deal for Mason Mount, with the England star now closing in on a stunning £60million switch.
United had seen an earlier bid worth £50m knocked back, with the Blues holding out for a fee in the region of £70m. However, with Mount about to enter the final year of his contract at Stamford Bridge, the Premier League rivals look set to meet in the middle.
The move comes with Mount making his own preference clear. The 24-year-old does not intend to extend his current deal - which expires in the summer of 2024 - and Chelsea are not going to stand in the way of their academy graduate's next move.
Mount could become a third Chelsea midfielder to leave within a single window. N'Golo Kante has already agreed a deal to join fellow France international Karim Benzema at Al Ittihad, while Mateo Kovacic - another man whose contract runs out in 2024 - close to a Manchester City switch worth up to £30m.
Man Utd boss Erik ten Hag is keen to have the deal wrapped up before the club embarks on a pre-season tour. This time last year, the Dutch coach was made to wait before eventually completing later moves for the likes of Casemiro and Antony.
United will begin their pre-season campaign on July 12, taking on Leeds in Oslo. They will also embark on a four-game tour of the United States later in the month, with matches in New Jersey, San Diego, Houston and Las Vegas.
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United's move for mount comes as talented youngster Zidane Iqbal prepares to leave Old Trafford. The Iraqi international, who impressed in pre-season last summer, is on the verge of a cut-price move to Utrecht.
Chelsea are expected to remain busy this summer, as they look to trim their squad as they prepare for a first season with Mauricio Pochettino as manager. Kalidou Koulibaly and Hakim Ziyech have both been targeted by teams in Saudi Arabia, while Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is among the other squad members linked with an exit.
The Blues have also completed their first signing of the summer, confirming the arrival of French international Christopher Nkunku from RB Leipzig. They have also welcomed back January signing Malo Gusto, who was loaned back to former club Lyon following his pre-season move.
"I am incredibly happy to be joining Chelsea," Nkunku said. "A big effort was made to bring me to the club and I am looking forward to meeting my new coach and teammates and showing the Chelsea supporters what I can do on the pitch."
