Chris Wheeler of the Daily Mail dismissed rumours that Manchester United and AC Milan were negotiating a move for Mason Mount earlier in the week. Still, the muted response to this rumour revealed just how low his stock is at the moment. Mount’s injury-ravaged United career has shown promise at different points, but it has never fully got going. It’s clear that next season is his final opportunity to show fans and other stakeholders why he can still be a useful contributor at Old Trafford.
It shouldn’t
be forgotten that Mount was a sought-after player before joining United, a significant member of Chelsea’s Champions League-winning side, and the England squad during the 2021 European championships. His tactical discipline has also warmed him to every manager he’s worked with, but the indifference towards him from United fans comes with not just his unavailability but the thinking behind his signature.
He was signed in 2023 for £55 million, which was a reasonable price for a proven player, but his best work came in the same areas Bruno Fernandes operates in at a time when the deeper midfield areas were the biggest concern. Of course, this remains a concern, which Mount has nothing to do with, and highlights United’s poor recruitment record, but patience has worn thin.
Last season, especially under Ruben Amorim, he seemed something like the player at Chelsea with a well-defined role and even scored some important goals at a time when United were lacking consistency. His role under Amorim wasn’t unlike the one under Thomas Tuchel at Chelsea, when he played his best football, but he couldn’t carry this momentum forward as injuries once again impeded his season.
Michael Carrick, on the other hand, seemed to have found another way to get him to contribute. In the last game of the season against Brighton, he was employed in a deeper role and stayed quite close to Bruno Fernandes and Kobbie Mainoo, playing short passes to move the Brighton midfield around and closing their midfielders down within the compact defensive shape employed on the day. The same role didn’t quite work for him against Nottingham Forest in the previous game as United played with different personnel and were more open out of possession, which shows that using him like this would only work under particular conditions, but it was a positive.
United need depth, and Mount’s still young enough to be an important squad player for some time if he can stay injury-free. He’s the sort of flexible and honest player that Sir Alex always valued, and there’s no reason to believe Michael Carrick won’t feel the same. However, everything relies on his fitness. If he stays fit, he’s just the sort of player who most teams with great ambitions are looking for, but it’s a big if. For now, it’s best to give him one more shot.
