Man Utd transfers: Why Mason Mount was wanted by Erik ten Hag at Old Trafford

Erik ten Hag first bumped into Mason Mount when he was Ajax head coach. On loan at Vitesse Arnhem, the 18-year-old's free-kick led to his side's third goal as they beat Ajax 3-2 in March 2018.

Ten Hag, then in charge of just his eighth game at Ajax, reportedly tried to sign Mount for the Dutch club on loan from Chelsea the following season. Fourteen goals and 10 assists in his first full campaign of senior football, largely from central midfield, had caught Ten Hag's attention.

Now, after a difficult fourth season for Mount at Chelsea and a chaotic first year under the club's new owners, Manchester United have signed the 24-year-old on a five-year deal for an initial £55m rising to £60m.

Sky Sports News understands the deal includes a potential £5m of add-ons strongly dependent on appearances and success.

Chelsea knew this was the time to cash in on a player who had just one year left on his contract at Stamford Bridge. Ten Hag has now got his man.

Why did Man Utd want Mount?

Earlier in the 2022/23 season, following the arrivals of Casemiro (£70m) and Christian Eriksen (free) last summer, the midfield looked to have become an area of strength at United, at least in terms of first-choice options.

Ten Hag's go-to trio of Casemiro, Eriksen and Bruno Fernandes lost just once last season when starting together which backs that up. However, when Fred, Scott McTominay and Donny van de Beek were called upon there was a marked drop-off in quality.

In addition to that, as the campaign wore on, it became clear that Eriksen, while unique to the other options at Ten Hag's disposal for the control he brought in possession, struggled to compete at his peak for the full 90 minutes. After Christmas, the Denmark international completed just one of the 15 games he started.

Mount's arrival will certainly address the issue of quality and depth in United's midfield. His work rate in and out of possession makes him the type of player that managers can rely on.

"Mason brings a certain attitude and an aura and a mentality on the field," former Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel said in 2021. "It is very hard to drop him because even if he has a not-so-good game, you'll always get full energy and positivity and a wonderful approach."

Tuchel's words will be music to Ten Hag's ears. Mount brings all the qualities he's looking for.

What is often overlooked with Mount is his ability to provide goals and assists. As we know, United have struggled for goals, and while they are looking for a striker to ameliorate the issue, adding another source of goals is a must.

Across his first three seasons at Chelsea - which excludes the most recent campaign - Mount had 44 goal involvements across 105 Premier League appearances. The only midfielders with more were Man City's Kevin De Bruyne (74) and Fernandes (61).

At just 24, Mount's best years should still be ahead of him. United are getting an already established England international at a reduced price who has even more potential to grow. It's not often situations like this come along.

Where will Mount fit in at Man Utd?

Based on the system Ten Hag deployed this season, Mount appears most suited for one of the two No 8 positions usually taken up by Eriksen and Fernandes with Casemiro deployed behind as an anchor.

Although, as he's shown under Tuchel, Mount can also have an impact on the game as part of a front three on either wing. In that sense, he could fulfil a very similar role to Fernandes, potentially lightening the burden on the Portugal midfielder.

In the No 8 role, Mount would be expected to contribute both offensively and defensively, although most of his time would be spent in the opposition's half.

Ten Hag likes his No 8s to push high up the pitch to pin back the opposition. This would likely suit Mount as he has enjoyed great success when operating in those half spaces further up the pitch. He also has the energy to stretch opposition defences when operating in the final third.

One of United's better team goals this season was Rashford's effort that doubled their lead during a 2-1 home win over Crystal Palace in February - and it highlighted just how Ten Hag wants his No 8s to set up offensively.

Looking at the image below, we can see right from the goalkeeper's possession that the two advanced midfielders - Fernandes and Casemiro (highlighted) - are positioned high up the pitch to stretch the gap between Palace's striker and the midfield.

This is done to create space for the goalkeeper, defenders and holding midfielder as they build up the play.

The next phase of the attack shows the two No 8s are now joining the attackers to create a front five and overload the opposition defence. This shape can be fluid and relies on the energy and movement of the advanced midfielders stretching the defence, often by going into wide areas.

As the below image shows both Casemiro and Fernandes are now on the move and looking for the ball.

In the final image, Fernandes has made a run out right while Casemiro offers an inside option. Mount, having played as a No 10 and in wide positions, has the ability to deliver a cross or play in those tight, half-spaces.

In this instance, Aaron Wan-Bissaka opted to pass to Casemiro. He then played a first-time pass inside to Alejandro Garnacho, who spread it out to Luke Shaw and his low cross was converted by Rashford.

What is easy to miss here is that while Fernandes does not directly impact the play, his run out wide allows Antony to come in off the right and, in turn, create space for Garnacho who gets the pre-assist.

Ten Hag is relying heavily on his No 8s to create, whether that's in or out of possession.

His system appears to be well-suited to a player of Mount's skill set. And, as the demands of the position are intensive, it makes sense to have depth to allow rotation between Eriksen, Fernandes and now Mount, too.