Mason Mount is set to join Manchester United from Chelsea in a deal which could reach £60million, but had things gone differently he could have moved to Liverpool.
United have finally struck a deal with Chelsea and will pay £55m, with a further £5m due in potential add-ons. After undergoing a medical early next week, he will sign a five-year contract worth £250,000 per week.
That’s a significant outlay for a midfielder whose Chelsea contract was due to expire in June 2024. And it is the sort of outlay which put Liverpool off getting involved in the bidding for the 24-year-old.
Jurgen Klopp is a known admirer of Mount, who combines creativity with a fierce work ethic. Mount would appear to be a good fit with the Liverpool system, with the England international capable of playing as a free-roaming No8 in front of a holding midfielder.
But, despite a clear need for midfielders, with James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Naby Keita and Arthur Melo leaving, they did not join United in bidding for Mount.
The Telegraph says the decision to walk away was taken because they did not want to get dragged into prolonged negotiations with Chelsea. Despite the Blues’ desire to sell unwanted players before June 30 so they can be included in the accounts for the 2022/23 season, there was a feeling that Todd Boehly and co wanted Liverpool to join in so they could drive up the price.
Chelsea rejected two bids from United before shaking hands for £55m – and that is a fee outside Liverpool’s financial capabilities this season. Liverpool have signed one player so far this summer, with Alexis Mac Allister joining from Brighton for a fee in the region of £45m.
While a significant fee, the Reds were happy to pay it due to the simplicity of the negotiations with the Seagulls. They have now turned their attention to RB Leipzig midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai.
The Hungary international has a £60m release clause which expires on Friday and Liverpool are locked in negotiations with Leipzig to sign him. They will hope to wrap up the talks as soon as possible so Szoboszlai can join the squad for pre-season preparations.
Liverpool’s approach to transfers is partly due to the limitations imposed by owners Fenway Sports Group and was made clear by Klopp back in April when he was asked about Jude Bellingham.
“I never understood why we constantly talk about things we theoretically cannot have,” he said. “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.”
