It might not be a popular view, but the signing of Mason Mount back in 2023 made sense at the time, the Englishman having previously impressed under a string of managers for both club and country, while notably starring as Chelsea won the Champions League two years earlier.
A combination of factors has ensured things haven’t gone to plan since, however, none more so than injury, with the playmaker also weighed down by a bumper £60m price tag, having had only a year left on his Stamford Bridge deal at the time of the move.
Handing him the club’s famed – or rather cursed – number seven shirt added an extra layer of pressure, as did the decision not to pursue his compatriot and friend Declan Rice instead, the latter man signing for Arsenal that same summer.
Rice has since gone on to drag the Gunners to the Premier League title, while Mount has been a bystander to proceedings at Old Trafford – he simply can’t be relied upon.
Why Man Utd would be foolish to let Mount dictate midfield plans
Prior to the recent meeting with Paris Saint-Germain, Mount had arguably been the star of pre-season under Michael Carrick, putting in a particularly pleasing performance against Atletico Madrid.
Looking like prime Paul Scholes, you could say, the 27-year-old appeared to have struck up a fruitful partnership with new man Andrey Santos, having been deployed in a new-look, deep-lying role.
That impressive form had led to suggestions that United were even considering whether to abandon their pursuit of a third midfield signing, instead set to put faith in Mount, amid the prior captures of Santos and Youri Tielemans.
Sadly, as to be expected, the merits of that approach were swiftly extinguished as the former Blues star limped off early on against PSG last time out, the expectation being that he will miss Wednesday’s friendly against Leeds United.
That setback may even be a blessing in disguise, providing an early warning shot to INEOS that they simply can’t pin their hopes on a man who hasn’t ever enjoyed a consistent run of games in a United shirt.
|
Mount’s Premier League Record |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Season |
Games (Starts) |
Goals (Assists) |
|
25/26 |
23 (12) |
3 (0) |
|
24/25 |
17 (8) |
1 (0) |
|
23/24 |
14 (5) |
1 (0) |
|
22/23 |
24 (20) |
3 (2) |
|
21/22 |
32 (27) |
11 (10) |
|
20/21 |
36 (32) |
6 (5) |
|
19/20 |
37 (32) |
7 (5) |
As he’s shown in flashes – none more so than with that brace against Athletic Bilbao in the Europa League – there’s an undeniable talent there, but the modern-day Owen Hargreaves shouldn’t dictate the club’s summer plans.
A third midfield arrival remains essential.
Carrick can end Mount experiment with third midfield signing
Part of the issue too of utilising Mount alongside Santos, Tielemans and Kobbie Mainoo in a deep-lying role is that it leaves Carrick without a genuine understudy to Bruno Fernandes, with Mount the only obvious, senior alternative in that number ten role.
That should only further prove the point that it would be bordering on negligence not to sign another midfielder, particularly with Manuel Ugarte sidelined for an extended period.
There has been talk of a move for Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly, due to the Englishman’s ability to operate in central midfield and at left-back, ensuring INEOS could kill two birds with one stone in that sense.
As per The Athletic’s Laurie Whitwell, United have been offered the 19-year-old, albeit with the teenager seemingly keen to stay in north London, with there also concerns over how much a deal would cost.
Indeed, Lewis-Skelly isn’t the only versatile talent who fits the bill, with Whitwell also noting that the Red Devils have ‘looked at’ Real Madrid’s Eduardo Camavinga.
Hailed as “one of the best number sixes in world football” by analyst and Arsenal reporter, Harvey Diamonds, Camavinga would represent a real coup for INEOS, someone who can perfectly strengthen the midfield unit.
Yes, like Lewis-Skelly, he has been deployed at left-back in Madrid on occasion, doing so over 30 times, as per Transfermarkt, yet it is in that number six berth that he is typically at his best.
Adding the Frenchman into the mix, alongside the likes of Mainoo, Santos and Tielemans, would provide Carrick with a dream quartet, thus shifting Mount back into his role as a mere understudy or cameo man behind Fernandes.
Where Camavinga particularly excels is with regard to his ball retention, the left-footer ending last term with a 92% pass accuracy rate in LaLiga, albeit while starting only 16 games.
Last season also showcased what he can offer in a defensive sense, averaging 2.7 tackles and interceptions per game, while dribbled past just 0.5 times per game.
For comparison, Mount averaged just 1.4 tackles and interceptions per game from his 12 Premier League starts in 2025/26, and while he was also dribbled past just 0.5 times per game, his pass accuracy rate stood at just 82%.
It would feel like very modern-day Manchester United to try and save a few quid by trying to morph Mount into a number six or a number eight, rather than doing what is actually needed this summer – signing the best in class.
Arsenal have snapped up Bruno Guimaraes. Spurs have spent big on both Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes. Signing Camavinga from the Bernabeu could ensure United aren’t just simply left behind.
