Liverpool are weighing up their second transfer of the summer while bitter-rivals Man United are left frustrated in their own search
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag and Harry Maguire of Manchester United look dejected during the Emirates FA Cup Final between Manchester City and Manchester United at Wembley Stadium
If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. Manchester United must really feel like they pushed the old adage beyond its limits.
The Times reported on Saturday that the Red Devils have decided to switch attentions away from Mason Mount, after a third bid was rejected by Chelsea on Friday. Having already seen offers worth an overall £40m and £50m dismissed, their latest effort of £55m was also snubbed with it believed that the Londoners are holding out for an overall fee of £65m for the wantaway England international.
Reports prior to United’s latest bid being rejected insisted that it was a final offer, with the Red Devils willing to end negotiations. However, with Chelsea’s counter-offer broken down as at least £58m upfront with £7m in add-ons, they have offered to hold face-to-face talks to find a resolution that will suit all parties. It remains to seen if Saturday’s latest twist really is the end of Erik ten Hag’s pursuit of his first-choice midfield target.
Make no mistake, a resolution to Mount’s future has turned into a drawn-out saga, and one very much taking place in the public eye. For the record, this has displeased United bosses.
The MEN reports that United football director John Murtough has taken a ‘dim view’ of Chelsea’s strategy of communicating United’s bids through the club’s dedicated correspondents in London. Meanwhile, sources also suggest that the Red Devils’ ‘hands are tied’ due to the club’s finances
But considering Mount is out of contract in 12 months, wants to leave, and has just suffered an injury-plagued campaign, there is a feeling that Chelsea are very much over-valuing the midfielder. And now United bosses have seemingly run out of patience.
Such a stance is not unique to Old Trafford, with Liverpool feeling exactly the same regarding an exorbitant asking price before they cooled their own interest in the 24-year-old. Instead, they moved for Alexis Mac Allister, snapping the World Cup winner from Brighton for a fee believed to be in the region of £35m less than two weeks after their 2022/23 season concluded.
If the Reds’ recruitment team were already patting themselves on the back after signing the Argentina international for a bargain fee, courtesy of a release clause of sorts, they can be even more pleased with themselves now considering some of the asking-prices being thrown around elsewhere
In truth, Liverpool interest in Mac Allister was well-documented prior to his arrival, with his release clause ensuring such a transfer would never grow protracted. But the Reds have never been one for drawn-out sagas in recent years, preferring to get their business done quietly and efficiently behind the scenes where possible.
