Manchester United are intent on signing Mason Mount, having already made three bids to Chelsea this summer transfer window.
While the need for a striker and a goalkeeper seems far more important to their progression under Erik ten Hag next season, there are some clues in the Dutch manager's approach with his side last term that hint at the huge importance of bringing in a player of Mount's quality.
The way Manchester United currently play, and the way Ten Hag would ideally have the team playing are, at the moment, worlds apart. Mount, for both his attacking and defensive contributions, is the best player available right now for bridging that gap.
After primarily using a 4-2-3-1 system for the majority of the season, Ten Hag employed a 4-3-3 towards the business end of 2022/23 in order to provide greater balance to the side.
With Casemiro the team's defensive midfielder, and Bruno Fernandes the one who creates and tries to impact the game through pressing, the third midfielder in the system needs to complete multiple different jobs - something Christian Eriksen, Fred nor Scott McTominay are quite capable of.
While impressive on the ball, Eriksen can run out of steam towards the end of games and doesn't press with the intensity required to match his midfield partners. Fred, meanwhile, has the opposite problem, while McTominay lies somewhere between the two.
A combination of both skills is essential for United, especially with Fernandes likely to roam around the pitch.
Mount, therefore, is the perfect candidate to slot in alongside Casemiro and Fernandes. The England international is both technically proficient and an intense presser, and also understands the defensive side of the game expertly.
As FourFourTwo's Adam Clery highlights in the video above, Mount was one of the league's standout performers for both attacking and defensive contributions in the 2022/23 season, all while playing in an ailing Chelsea side which failed to qualify for Europe and struggled over the course of the campaign.
Mount is also brilliant at finding space on the pitch. With Rashford and Fernandes allowed free reign to go where they want on the pitch, Mount will happily fill in the gaps they've vacated - and often they turn into dangerous situations.
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Manchester United transfer news is doing the rounds, with the Red Devils said to be in the market for several stars this summer.
Mohammed Kudus has been linked and would cost around £40m. Kim Min-jae is seriously linked, while Mason Mount continues to be rumoured, too. Incredibly, Neymar has been linked as well.
Manchester United have also released their new kit for the 2023/24 season, and it could be the nicest collaboration with Adidas they've ever had.
