Erik ten Hag could derail Chelsea’s plans after third Mason Mount bid rejected
With Manchester United walking away from their pursuit of Mason Mount they will soon learn whether the “United tax” applies to other midfield targets.
United saw a third bid for Mount rejected on Saturday by Chelsea, who countered with a £58m plus £7m in add-ons proposal after turning down an offer worth £55m for the England international.
Be it a negotiation tactic or genuine frustration with the fee being demanded for a player out of contract in 12 months’ time, for now it appears United will look elsewhere.
Cue reports linking United with Moises Caicedo, the Brighton midfielder who pushed for a move to Arsenal in January and is also coveted by Chelsea.
Caicedo is free to leave for the right price, with Brighton head coach Roberto De Zerbi acknowledging after their final Premier League game of the season: “The policy of Brighton is like this. I think it’s right they can leave, change teams and play at a higher level.”
De Zerbi was also referring to Alexis Mac Allister, who joined Liverpool for £35m, while Caicedo could fetch Brighton at least twice that amount after rejecting Arsenal’s £70m bid in January.
“I was really close to going. I suffered a lot. I’m sure I’m going to have many more opportunities,” Caicedo told the Telegraph in April, having expressed his desire to leave on social media in January when saying: “I hope they can understand why I want to take up this magnificent opportunity.”
And so just as Arsenal find themselves competing with Manchester City for Declan Rice, a two-horse race many believe will have a similar outcome to that of their title battle, the Gunners can also seemingly count United as challengers for Caicedo’s signature, as well as Chelsea.
In one foul swoop, United could trump Arsenal and perhaps more significantly beat Chelsea to the punch, the very side who have held firm over Mount when a transfer would surely benefit all parties.
Mount is now a target for Bayern Munich, according to The Guardian, with head coach Thomas Tuchel keen on a reunion having worked with the 24-year-old at Chelsea.
The report claims Chelsea could even accept a lower fee given they are not selling to a Premier League rival, and United would likely take umbrage with that.
The Manchester Evening News talks of a “United tax” that continues to frustrate the club in the transfer market, the sense that they are being quoted higher prices than others, even Manchester City. Case in point, Mateo Kovacic, who like Mount had one year left on his current contract when swapping Chelsea for the champions in a deal worth £30m.
Kovacic is five years older than Mount, but nevertheless it quantifies United’s predicament this summer transfer window, where the desire for a striker has seen them quoted £150m for Napoli’s Victor Osimhen and all-but end their pursuit of Harry Kane, with Tottenham unwilling to sell the player to another English club.
It remains to be seen whether the “United tax” would apply to Caicedo, although Brighton will hope a bidding war drives up the Ecuadorian’s price.
Though very different midfielders, Caicedo could be one of the four “acceptable” alternatives to Mount that United are said to be pursuing according to the Manchester Evening News, who name no players in their report.
That leaves us at the early stages of speculation, and gossip columns in England and abroad have suggested United could reignite their interest in Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot, a year on from a collapsed move due to the Frenchman’s wage demands.
Bayern Munich’s Ryan Gravenberch, a reported target for Liverpool, could also be an option for United. The 21-year-old played under Erik ten Hag at Ajax, where he won three Dutch titles, but after moving to Germany last summer the Dutch international has struggled to hold down a starting spot at Bayern.
And so whatever next for United, it could be that they keep their cards closer to their chest in the coming weeks. This “tax” is born from a clear-for-all-to-see need to strengthen certain positions, but evidently the club who spent £93.2m on Paul Pogba, £80m on Harry Maguire and £75m on Romelu Lukaku have deemed enough is enough. Time to find value in this transfer market. Best o’ luck.
