When it comes to eyeing up a new signing, footballing ability is just one of the many aspects that Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag pays close attention to.
After inheriting nothing short of a mess at the time of his Old Trafford arrival in May last year, the Dutchman made it his mission to rebuild the club from the ground upwards by overseeing a culture change and injecting a winning mentality back into the club. The signings of Lisandro Martinez and Casemiro, for example, turned out to be game-changing additions, both because of their abilities as footballers and their characteristics as people.
Though, with respect, Casemiro arrived at Old Trafford having won more than Martinez, both players were driven by passion and hunger to succeed, elements that were obvious throughout this season. They both had impressive impacts and their characteristics rubbed off on their new teammates.
Therefore, it was hardly surprising when Ten Hag, who wants to add reinforcements to his squad this summer, following a successful maiden season at Old Trafford, highlighted the importance of the character of potential incomings last summer. It was an admission that made clear just what he looks for when contemplating the idea of adding new faces to his squad.
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Speaking last August, Ten Hag said: "Of course you analyse your squad…what are the weaknesses, what are the strengths and where can we improve? Which players are on the market?
"But it's also really important that you know the characters of your current squad and also the players that you bring in…what characters and behaviour they have. And what the effect, or probable effect, they will have in the dressing room."
For example, if a player, despite being richly talented, has a history of being disruptive or upsetting the general mood inside a dressing room, it is unlikely that Ten Hag would turn to him. The Dutchman will stand by the same principles again this summer when looking to add to his squad.
The United boss wants to strengthen a handful of areas within his squad during the upcoming transfer window, with the additions of a striker and a central-midfielder topping his wish list. While the Reds' striker search remains ongoing and complex, they have identified Chelsea ace Mason Mount as a player they would like to bring to Old Trafford.
Though they are yet to agree a fee with Chelsea for a possible transfer, they have agreed personal terms with Mount, meaning they have already overcome one major obstacle in the negotiations. Mount wants to leave Stamford Bridge ahead of his contract expiring next year and he would fit the profile for the type of midfielder Ten Hag wants to add to his squad, being both younger than United's midfield options and relatively versatile, capable of playing both deep and high.
Perhaps more importantly for Ten Hag, though, Mount's character as an individual has often been praised in the past, not least by former Chelsea head coach Thomas Tuchel. Many thought that the Mount would be one of the biggest casualties of the German's appointment at Stamford Bridge back in January 2021, but he turned out to be one of the now-Bayern Munich boss' most important players, racking up 87 appearances under his stewardship, scoring 19 goals and getting 20 assists.
"He has the full package, mentally, in terms of talent and physically and the most important part is his character, he has his feet on the ground and he's a nice guy," said Tuchel, speaking in May 2021. "He comes to Cobham [Chelsea's training ground] every day to learn something new and have new experiences.
"It's a pleasure to have him, be at his side and guide him and support him. It's impressive, he's not affected by all the praise. This is maybe the most important part.
"He seems to be a guy who likes the sport, and feels an obligation to make the most out of it and he wants it absolutely badly, so it's a top mix."
With Tuchel's admission in mind, Mount would definitely fit the criteria Ten Hag looks into when deciding on a new signing. He could be just the ticket for his United philosophy.
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