IT wasn’t that long ago Mason Mount (£3.5m) seemed destined to joins the likes of John Terry and Frank Lampard in Chelsea’s Hall of Fame.
The Cobham graduate won the Blues’ Player of the Year award in back-to-back seasons, finishing 2020/21 with a memorable assist in the Champions League final and ending 2021/22 as one of only three Premier League players to register double digits for both goals and assists.
Creative in possession and energetic in defence, Mount was one of the first names on the team sheet for club and country, someone who averaged 20 goal involvements per campaign (all comps) across his first three seasons at Stamford Bridge.
However, something went terribly wrong in 2022/23 as the 24-year-old limped to three goals and six assists from 35 appearances, with just five of those goal involvements coming in the top flight.
DREAM TEAMMount has swapped Chelsea blue for Manchester red[/caption]
Granted, he missed over two months through injury and he was far from the only Chelsea player to underwhelm last term but his drop-off, particularly in the realm of Dream Team, was highlighted more than most because of the standards he previously set for himself.
Mount was among the best midfielders in Dream Team in 2021/22 but managers abandoned him altogether last season, justifiably so.
But now he’s traded for Stamford Bridge for Old Trafford and while his Lampard-esque legacy in west London has gone up in smoke, a change of scenery may be what he needs to rediscover his best form.
At the time of writing, Dream Team gaffers are seemingly confident that Mount will thrive at Manchester United.
With an ownership of 16.2%, he’s currently the sixth-most popular midfielder in the game.
No7? No pressure…GETTY
This is a notable show of faith as gaffers keen on some midfield returns from Erik ten Hag’s side should consider Bruno Fernandes (£6.5m) first and foremost.
The Portugal international amassed more points than anyone else in his position last season thanks to a remarkable spike in form post-World Cup.
As the newly-crowned club captain, Fernandes is a guaranteed a mountain of minutes too.
However, what Mount has over his new team-mate is a more affordable price tag – he’s a full £3million cheaper.
To put that into perspective, choosing Mount over Fernandes would mean being able to upgrade from Jordan Ayew (£2.5m) to Gabriel Jesus (£5.5m) up front, as one example.
In theory, opting for Mount over Fernandes in order to free up cash to invest elsewhere is a viable strategy… but if Mount plays as he did last season then such a ploy will fall flat.
GETTYFernandes is Dream Team’s reigning king among midfielders[/caption]
And so, ahead of the new campaign, gaffers are asking: Will the real Mason Mount please stand up?
The schedule looks relatively friendly for the Red Devils in August, which might prompt their new No7 to start with a bang.
Man United host Wolves first up and welcome Nottingham Forest (terrible away record last season) to Old Trafford at the end of the month, either side of a trip to a new-look Tottenham outfit.
For a player who was once a reliable performer, Mount now feels likes a riskier selection, but perhaps one worth taking.