Man Utd risk repeating Maguire transfer mistake with £80m midfield target
Manchester United might be repeating their Harry Maguire mistake if they spend a huge transfer fee to bring Mason Mount to Old Trafford.
The England midfielder has one year left on his deal at Chelsea and is expected to move on rather than agree new terms or leave for free in 12 months. He has agreed personal terms with United but the clubs are yet to settle on an acceptable fee.
But with a rumoured asking price of £80m, Mirror columnist Stan Collymore believes that "jack of all trades" Mount is overpriced and not good enough to turn Erik ten Hag's team into title winner.
"If I was calling the recruitment shots at Manchester United, I’d be steering well clear of paying north of £80m for Mason Mount," Collymore said.
"He is rated highly by the coaches who have worked with him for his work-rate and enthusiasm. But I don’t see him as a player who can bring a team closer to titles.
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"He gets away with a lot because he’s won the Champions League with Chelsea and is nice and smiley. But take away him being a nice, homegrown kid, and dig deeper into his game you see he’s a jack of all trades, master of none.
"If he was available for £40m, then I’d bite Chelsea’s hands off. But at the price being talked about, there is a whiff of United repeating their Harry Maguire mistake again.
"United saw Virgil van Dijk join Liverpool for £75m and thought that was the going rate for first-class centre backs. That, plus Leicester digging their heels in, meant they then paid over the odds to sign Maguire. And we all know how badly that’s worked out."
Mason Mount continues to be linked with a move to Man Utd (Getty Images)Collymore believes champions Manchester City looking at fellow Chelsea midfielder Mateo Kovacic is telling, while Liverpool look to Brighton star Alexis MacAllister. And he is also unsure of what is Mount's best role.
"What is Mount exactly? He’s a good player but he doesn’t give you the defensive prowess or creativity needed from midfield. And I don’t think he has done enough to be thought of as a main man.
"He’s a player to compliment what you have. He’ll do the work, make some things happen but has he done enough for club or country to be thought of as the main man? I don’t think so.
"By comparison Liverpool are looking at Alexis Mac Allister who is a World Cup winner, can get past people with the blink of an eye and also get back to make a nuisance. If he is available for £60m, I can see the value for that.
"Another £20m for Mason Mount? That’s not good value. I’d be looking at Moises Caicedo as an alternative or maybe even Conor Gallagher at a cheaper price.
"The fact Manchester City aren’t interested shows you that Mount’s not at the required standard."
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