Manchester United and Chelsea have found a ‘middle ground’ over a deal to accommodate Mason Mount’s switch to Old Trafford, as per the Daily Mirror.
Despite seeing their initial offer for the 24-year-old playmaker comfortably rejected by the Blues, the Red Devils haven’t lost hope of luring the Englishman away from London.
Chelsea turned down United’s opening bid worth around £50 million, sticking to an excessive £70m valuation of their wantaway midfielder and showing no intention of wavering on their stance.
However, the homegrown Blues star is about to move into the final year of his contract at Stamford Bridge without showing a glimmer of ambition to sign a new contract.
Mount tumbled down the pecking order last season and seems to be holding a grudge against his boyhood club as he intends to force his move to the Theatre of Dreams.
Aware of the midfielder’s desire to move on to new challenges, Chelsea appear to have agreed to lower their demands and are now ready to meet Man United halfway.
They are now reportedly willing to accept an offer in the region of £60m to sanction Mount’s move to the ranks of their fierce Premier League rivals.
While the Red Devils would ideally want to drive the price down even further, Chelsea’s readiness to drift away from their initial request is a sign of flexibility that could facilitate the deal.
It appears the London outfit’s change of heart comes as a result of Mount’s firm desire to link up with Man United following an injury-plagued season in the capital.
Despite his relatively underwhelming season, Ten Hag holds the versatile midfielder in high regard and sees him as an upgrade on Fred and Scott McTominay, who could both leave United this summer.
Mount’s move to Manchester is not a foregone conclusion yet, but everything is moving in that direction.