Man Utd boss Ten Hag ‘has made transfer decision’ because of Fernandes

It has long been an open secret that United wanted to sign Mount, with the playmaker having just 12 months left on his Chelsea contract. And GiveMeSport say the England international is wanted by Ten Hag to help ease some of the pressure on Fernandes.

The United star was a dependable figure last season, playing a massive 74 matches for club and country. Fernandes bagged a commendable 14 goals across all competitions for United, with only Marcus Rashford managing to find the net more.

And he also clocked up 13 assists, too. The report says Ten Hag ‘would like to lighten the load for Fernandes’ with Champions League football another factor in his thinking.

And that’s another factor in the club’s thinking, although a big offer could tempt them into negotiating. Regarding Mount, meanwhile, Louis Saha recently had his say on the Red Devils’ pursuit of the Chelsea star.

And the Frenchman called on his old side to stand their ground and refuse to buckle. He said: “I believe it’s the right decision.

“Mason’s a great player that would have fit into Manchester United’s squad very well, but last year he didn’t have a great season and I can understand why the club doesn’t want to break the bank for him.

“Manchester United have a structure when it comes to transfers, so they shouldn’t allow themselves to be bullied by other clubs.

“They need to stand their ground because Manchester United is a great club and they can walk away from any player. If Chelsea don’t understand that, then it’s fair game. I don’t believe that £60m to sign him is justified, considering that in a years’ time it would be a free transfer for the same player.”

Saha added: “I do believe the deal could still happen, as Manchester United could be waiting out for Chelsea to agree to a lower fee as it’s evident that they need to sell players this summer.

“I believe this could be their strategy. The deal’s on the table and Chelsea know how much Manchester United want Mason, but Chelsea are being a bit greedy as they’re probably trying to recoup a lot of the money they spent on players over the last year.

“In a year’s time, he can sign for Manchester United for free, so that indicates the pressure that Chelsea’s under.”