Chelsea are insistent on receiving at least £55m for Mason Mount this summer, with Manchester United yet to match the club’s valuation for the England international despite leading the race for his signature.
The 24-year-old is willing to go to United amid interest from Liverpool and Arsenal and agreement on a price is now the only obstacle to his move to Old Trafford.
Mount only has a year left on his contract and has refused to sign a new deal amid uncertainty at Chelsea.
The midfielder believes United’s system under Erik ten Hag offers the best fit, with the Dutchman understood to have the clearest idea for him.
United do not want to go as high as £55m because their own summer budget is open to change with the takeover, but it is felt a deal will eventually be done despite the clubs currently being some way off agreement.
United thrashed Chelsea on Thursday night to secure Champions League qualification which drastically improved what they can offer Mount next season.
Ahead of the meeting at Old Trafford, United boss Ten Hag rather pointedly noted that spending big sums without having a cohesive plan in place to utilise those signings effectively was a total waste - as Chelsea have found out this season.
“When there is no strategy behind, or (not) the right strategy, money doesn’t work,” he said. “In this moment there is a centralisation of good players, of the best managers, also of the money, it is all here in the UK. And that makes a great competition, but also a tough and a hard competition.
“And you have to do the right things and you can have money but you have to do it and spend it in a smart way and also you need a strategy behind it, because, otherwise, the money doesn’t work.”
