There has been an update regarding Manchester United's apparent interest in Chelsea contract rebel, Mason Mount…
What's the latest on Mount to Man United?
According to the Telegraph's James Ducker, the Red Devils are readying an offer worth in the region of £50m for the 24-year-old, with The Athletic's David Ornstein previously revealing that the Englishman is "leaning towards" a move to Old Trafford with just a year left to run on his existing deal.
Writing on Twitter, Ducker revealed: "#MUFC set to make £50m bid for Mason Mount (spelt name correctly this time). Chelsea expected to demand more. Fred planning talks with Ten Hag amid uncertainty over his future at United."
In his attached piece for The Telegraph – alongside colleague Jason Burt – the respected journalist went on to add that there is 'growing confidence' among those at United that a deal for the 36-cap ace can be agreed, despite the current gap in valuation between themselves and the Blues.
Who could Mount replace at Man United?
While Ducker spoke of the 'uncertainty' surrounding the future of Fred at the Theatre of Dreams – amid reports that the Brazilian could be on his way to Fulham – the 30-year-old may not be the only player to suffer from Mount's arrival, with Donny van de Beek also likely to see himself pushed further down the pecking order.
Like the Chelsea man, Van de Beek has typically operated in an advanced playmaking role during his time at United to date, albeit with the Dutchman having endured a miserable three-spell at the club, in truth, having been unable to nail down a regular in the side.
Having been signed from Ajax back in the summer of 2020 during Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's time at the club, the 25-year-old has gone on to start just 23 games in all competitions in that time, scoring just twice and laying on only two assists.
The most recent campaign, in particular, proved rather bleak for the Netherlands international despite the arrival of compatriot Erik ten Hag as he made just ten appearances before suffering a season-ending injury in January, with recent reports now claiming that the £40m man could be among those to depart this summer.
The signing of Mount, therefore, could be the final nail in the coffin for Van de Beek, with his fellow playmaker having proven himself a far more effective force in the Premier League, having reached double figures for both goals and assists in the top flight during the 2021/22 season.
While the one-time Derby County loanee was unable to replicate that feat this time around, the Portsmouth-born ace did still chip in with three goals and six across all fronts, while Van de Beek proved unable to provide a single goal involvement.
With journalist Samuel Luckhurst previously stating that deploying the latter man simply "doesn't work", then the addition of a "mad player" such as Mount – as hailed by club legend Rio Ferdinand – could prove an undeniable upgrade for Ten Hag.
As such, if a deal for the Three Lions gem does go through, it could well be bye-bye Van de Beek…
