Manchester United are approaching the Premier League run-in and Mason Mount has more to prove than most of his teammates.
“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,” Mason Mount said after agreeing to join Manchester United in 2023. The attacking midfielder was a gamble when Erik ten Hag signed off the £55m transfer.
He ended the 2022/23 season dealing with a pelvic injury and after scoring just three goals in his final campaign at Stamford Bridge, Mount needed to hit the ground running at the Theatre of Dreams. Unfortunately for him, he failed to do so.
The former Chelsea man picked up an injury after just two Premier League appearances and did not score his first goal in the top-flight until March 2024. Since then, his United career has been plagued by injuries as he’s struggled to gain any momentum.
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That was until this season. Mount became a Ruben Amorim favourite. The Portuguese head coach’s two No.10s system was perfect for the attacking midfielder and between October and December he scored three goals in seven Premier League appearances.
“He can defend, he can attack, the quality when he touches the ball is really good, so it’s not a surprise for me,” Amorim said after Mount’s third goal of his purple patch. “He’s a different type of leader. It’s not like Licha [Lisandro Martinez], for example. It’s a guy that leads by the example.
“It doesn’t matter the situation, Mason Mount is always the same thing – training, talking, dealing with people around Carrington. That is not easy, so he’s a very, very good player.”
Things had been looking good for Mount individually but collectively United were struggling. By January, Amorim had been sacked after his extraordinary outburst following the draw at Leeds.
Mount missed that game due to a knock but returned for a half hour cameo at Burnley under Darren Fletcher. That was the last time the midfielder played meaningful minutes for the Reds.
Michael Carrick’s appointment as interim head coach saw United return to a 4-2-3-1 and Bruno Fernandes was pushed into the No.10 role. Mount soon discovered, like Kobbie Mainoo before him, that Fernandes is undroppable.
The midfielder has been fit for just four games of the Carrick era. In two of them he was an unused substitute. In the others he was brought on in the final minutes.
United are in the midst of a 24-day break thanks to a lack of European or domestic cup football. They will spend some of this week in Ireland at a training camp but once they return, Mount needs to prove there is a place for him at United.
In Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo, Amad, Benjamin Sesko and, of course, Fernandes, United have a wealth of attacking options at their disposal. Three of those can also play Mount’s preferred position, leaving him well down the pecking order.
Fernandes will consider his options after the World Cup but it is understood United want to commit him to a new deal. If he agrees to stay long-term, Mount will definitely be a back-up next season at best.
Between now and the end of the campaign, Mount has to prove his fitness and his quality to the Reds. If he doesn’t, United will need to consider his future.
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