26 July 2023 , 14:20
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Manchester United defender Alvaro Fernandez has hailed the impact Mason Mount has had on the Old Trafford dressing room.
Mount completed his move to Old Trafford from Chelsea in a deal worth £55million plus £5m in add-ons earlier this summer. He has played an active role in pre-season and is aiming to force his way into Erik ten Hag’s first-team plans for next season.
The attack-minded midfielder – who has also been joined at United by goalkeeper Andre Onana, who has signed from Inter – scored 33 goals across 195 appearances for Chelsea but was unable to agree a new deal at Stamford Bridge.
Fernandez, who spent last season on loan at Preston in the Championship, has also been involved in pre-season training for United. The 20-year-old is likely to go out on loan once again this season, but Ten Hag wants a closer look at the Spaniard to evaluate his progress.
With Luke Shaw, Tyrell Malacia and Brandon Williams all at the club, the position for left-back is fierce but Shaw’s occasional deployment in the heart of defence and Williams likely to leave Old Trafford may see a long-term future at the club for the former Real Madrid youth team player.
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Speaking to Diario AS, the Spaniard spoke about first-team training at United and how the situation had improved under Ten Hag. He also spoke about the arrival of Mount and how impressive his impact at the club was.
“The coach is changing the team. New signings have arrived and the squad now has a new lease of life. Mason Mount is a really great player, but on the pitch, he has an incredible character. And then there is Lisandro Martínez, who arrived last summer and has a level of aggression that seems crazy.”
Asked specifically about the impact of Mount, Fernandez added: “He has surprised me because he was not a player that stood out to me before when watching matches. But in training, you can see the quality, the technique and the ability that he has. He is very good.”
Mount has taken centre stage in pre-season for United (Matthew Peters/Manchester United via Getty Images)Have Your Say! How important will Mount’s arrival be at Man Utd? Tell us what you think here.
Mount said upon completing the move to Old Trafford: “It’s never easy leaving the club where you grew up, but Manchester United will provide an exciting new challenge for the next phase of my career.
"Having competed against them, I know just how strong a squad it is that I’m joining, and I can’t wait to be part of this group’s drive to win major trophies."
Mount added: “Everyone can see that the club has made big steps forward under Erik ten Hag. Having met with the manager and discussed his plans, I couldn’t be more excited for the seasons ahead and am ready for the hard work expected here.
"I am hugely ambitious; I know how amazing it feels to win major trophies and what it takes to do it. I will be giving everything to experience that again at Manchester United.