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Erik ten Hag appears determined to land Mason Mount from Chelsea, as Manchester United make their opening bid for the England star.

As previously reported by The Peoples Person, The Red Devils have already settled on personal terms with Mount. with hopes that a deal could be completed by the end of the week.

Jason Burt of The Telegraph now claims that a £50m offer has been submitted by United, although that would fall short of Chelsea’s expected asking price.

The Blues are said to value Mount at around £70m, leaving a considerable gap in valuations between the clubs.

Mason Mount is entering the final year of his contract and appeared to be saying his goodbyes to the Chelsea faithful after the West London club’s final game of the season against Newcastle.

To add to that, incoming manager Mauricio Pochettino will be wanting funds to reshape his squad, which, in its current state, is beyond bloated and in need of surgery.

As an academy product, Mount represents what could be a rare opportunity for Chelsea to make a substantial profit in the transfer market this summer.

Man United therefore have every reason to believe that they can secure the signing in good time and at a reasonable fee, despite interest from the likes of Liverpool and Arsenal.

As relayed by The Athletic, United are ‘firm favourites’ to win this race, and keen to get two players in the door in time for preseason is underway.

Short of an incredible U-turn, Mason Mount looks certain to be one of those two players.

If Manchester United manage to secure the Chelsea midfielder in good time, it is expected that they will turn their focus towards bringing in a centre forward, with Randal Kolo Muani and Rasmus Hojlund in the picture. Harry Kane seems unlikely at this stage, particularly given Real Madrid’s renewed interest as they prepare for life after Karim Benzema.

The Telegraph also reports that Erik ten Hag wants another midfielder in addition to Mount as well as, curiously, a new left winger. While a goalkeeper is also being sought, there are thought to be no plans to spend “significant money” on the position, suggesting that United will only recruit a backup to David de Gea.

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