Mason Mount's move from Chelsea to Manchester United hangs in the balance as the two teams race against time to secure a transfer agreement. The sides have been in negotiations over a potential switch for the 24-year-old this summer, with several bids rejected by the Blues already.
football.london understands that the west London outfit have held a £70million valuation of the midfielder, despite only having one-year left on his contract. That stance appears to have softened in recent days after a recently rejected bid of roughly £50million saw the Blues counteroffer a total package worth £65million.
It suggests there is some room to work with on both sides, however there will still be a sense of urgency in the coming days ahead. For Chelsea, if they wish to have the finances from the deal count towards their financial accounts for the past year, the deal must go through by June 30.
Given the huge £600million spent by Boehly-Clearlake on deals since their arrival at the club, there will be a desire to make the end of year accounts look slightly healthier, though there's little risk of FFP concerns at this stage. Exits for the likes of Edouard Mendy, Kalidou Koulibaly, Hakim Ziyech, Mateo Kovacic and Kai Havertz will equally help trim the squad and balance the books.
As for United, they won't want to miss out on other targets they may have lined up in the transfer market, whether that's in other positions or as other options beyond Mount in the midfield. As a result, Fabrizio Romano reports that the deal for Mount has to be completed by the end of next week.
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While the Red Devils will enter with another bid, they are insistent on a quick resolution to the differences in valuation and won't negotiate for too long. The report adds that roughly £60million-£65million could be enough to secure the move, with personal terms already agreed.
If the deal were to run beyond that point, it remains to be seen whether Manchester United will pull out of the race for Mount. The transfer hangs in the balance though, with just over a week left on that deadline set.
