Manchester United have yet to sign or sell a single player this summer transfer window, so they really need to get moving on this, and soon. The first piece of business could be nabbing Mason Mount from Chelsea. The opening bid, of £40 million was rejected. Now they have come back with a second bid, of £50 million, and that was also knocked back.
Chelsea have a valuation set for the English midfielder, of £70m, but at the same time, they are realistic.
Understand Manchester United will bid again for Mason Mount. Personal terms are 100% agreed and sealed. ?? #MUFC
Mount plans not to sign new deal at Chelsea.
Man Utd want quick resolution — and won’t make ‘crazy’ bids.
Chelsea now flexible; £60/65m enough to get it done. pic.twitter.com/Czau71VMr3
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 21, 2023
They know that they must sell Mason Mount now, as his contract expires next season, and given that he has no interest in renewing, he can walk on a free next summer. It is being widely reported that Chelsea would settle for somewhere between 60 to 65 million for Frank Lampard’s all-time favorite player.
All the haggling should work in United’s advantage, as we’ve already seen Manchester City barter Chelsea down on Mateo Kovacic, and Arsenal do the same on Kai Havertz.
They will follow suit on Mason Mount.
Let’s move on to the Marcus Rashford contract extension talks. Because yes, “Transfer Talk” encompasses players already on the squad, when it’s a discussion of their future with the club…like we said, United are very quiet right now on the transfer business front.
The team’s leading scorer this past season is entering the final year of his current deal, which reportedly pays him £250,000-per-week. The 25-year-old Mancunian forward is close to inking a new extension that would see him receive a raise, one that would bring him up to £370k-a-week.
This would place him not just among the highest earners on the team, but also in the Premier League.
Buyer beware though, as Football Transfers points out. As their column points out, the club is repeating the same mistakes that they’ve made before, in breaking the “Ronaldo Rule.”
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
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