Mason Mount is on the verge of joining Manchester United from Chelsea in a potential £60million deal - after Liverpool showed interest in the England midfielder. United have reached an agreement with Chelsea, with an initial payment of £55m and a further £5m in add-ons.
The Manchester Evening News understands that once Mount completes his medical next week, he will put pen to paper on a five-year contract at Old Trafford. Mount’s contract at Chelsea was due to expire next year and the £60m fee was reportedly enough to deter Liverpool from entering the bidding war for the 24-year-old.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has openly expressed his admiration for Mount, who possesses both creativity and an indomitable work ethic. His versatility as a roaming No.8, playing just ahead of a holding midfielder, would seemingly suit Liverpool's system as well as United’s.
But despite the need for midfield reinforcements at Anfield following the departures of James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Naby Keita, and Arthur Melo, Liverpool did not feel they could compete with United for Mount’s signature.
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According to The Telegraph (via the Mirror), Liverpool decided against rivalling United for Mount to avoid protracted negotiations with Chelsea. While Chelsea have aimed to offload players before June 30 to include them in the accounts for the 2022/23 season, there was a suspicion that Todd Boehly and his associates wanted as many clubs as possible to join the fray to drive up the price - a tactic that is familiar to United as it is often used when they are linked with a player.
Chelsea turned down an opening offer from United before agreeing on the £55m deal, a sum that now falls beyond Liverpool's financial capabilities this season. Liverpool have only made one signing so far this summer, securing the services of Alexis Mac Allister from Brighton for a fee around £45m.
Liverpool's approach to transfers is influenced by the constraints imposed by owners Fenway Sports Group, as previously emphasised by Klopp in April when discussing Jude Bellingham.
"I never understood why we constantly talk about things we theoretically cannot have," Klopp stated. "We cannot have six players in the summer for £100m [each], for example. That's clear.
"You have to realise what you can do and then you have to work with that. How much money do we have available? Then we work with that. That's the job you have to do.
"We are not children. You ask a five-year-old what they want for Christmas and they tell you, 'I want a Ferrari.' You wouldn't say 'That's a good idea.' You would say, 'No, it's too expensive and you cannot drive it.' And that's how it is."
Erik ten Hag and the club's recruitment department agreed on pursuing Mount, with the United manager keen that the signing of a younger midfielder should be a transfer priority this summer.
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