Manchester United agree £60m deal to sign Mason Mount from Chelsea

Mason Mount will join Manchester United on a five-year contract, with the option of a further 12 months, after Chelsea finally accepted a deal worth up to £60million for the midfielder.

And Mount will pocket at least £78million in wages if he stays at Old Trafford for the full term of his deal, as he will be paid £250,000-a-week, plus bonuses that could earn him up to £300,000-a-week.

Having rejected three bids from United for Mount, Chelsea agreed a transfer that will see them receive a £55 million fixed fee, with the potential of £5 million in add-ons which are strongly dependent on appearances and success.

United believe £60 million would still represent good value for money for the 24-year-old, who had one year remaining on his Chelsea contract, because of the success required to pay the add-ons.

The two clubs finally found an agreement following further talks on Thursday after United’s third bid of £50 million, plus £5 million in add-ons, had been rejected last Friday night. But United never walked away from the negotiations.

Mount was Erik ten Hag’s No1 target for a key midfield role with the United manager determined the club should wrap up a deal as quickly as possible.

Mount has been earmarked to play as a ‘number eight’ but his adaptability - and football intelligence - is also admired by Ten Hag who will be relieved an agreement has finally been reached as he continues to re-shape his team.

United had originally believed a fee of £50million would secure Mount but are delighted with the terms that have been agreed. If the add-ons are paid it means United will have achieved their on-field aims.

Chelsea had valued Mount at £70 million, but ideally wanted the situation resolved before head coach Mauricio Pochettino officially starts work on Monday, with the players due to start returning for pre-season training from Tuesday.

Mount will now undergo a medical and sign his United contract that will run for five years, with the option of a further 12 months, which could take him to the age of 30. Personal terms will not be an issue.

The England international turned down the offer of a one-year extension to his Chelsea contract in February after talks over a longer-term deal to stay at Stamford Bridge had broken down.

United saw off interest from Arsenal and Liverpool in Mount

Mount has been at Chelsea since he was six and scored 33 goals in 195 appearances, winning the Champions League – he provided the assist for Kai Havertz’s winning goal - Uefa Super Cup and Club World Cup and twice, in consecutive seasons being named the club’s player of the year.

Mount was also wanted by Arsenal and Liverpool but United quickly became favourites to sign him after talks.

Having secured the dynamic midfielder he wanted Ten Hag will turn his attention to resolving the situation with United’s first-choice goalkeepers. Talks have begun with Inter Milan over signing Andre Onana – who played for Ten Hag at Ajax – in a deal that would cost a minimum of 50million euros (£43.1million).

A contract offer on vastly reduced terms for David De Gea, whose current deal expires at midnight on Friday, remains on the table but if Onana signs he will have to be his understudy.

Chelsea have sold Mount, Mateo Kovacic and Havertz for combined fees that could reach £155 million and banked almost £40 million more with the departures of Kalidou Koulibaly and Edouard Mendy to Saudi Arabia with Hakim Ziyech also in talks to make the move to the state’s Pro-League while Ruben Loftus-Cheek is set to join AC Milan for £15million.

Chelsea will now step up their efforts to bring in midfielder Moises Caicedo from Brighton, with confirmation of the signing of forward Nicolas Jackson expected shortly.

Brighton value Caicedo at around £100 million, but Chelsea hope to set up a deal worth around £80 million with personal terms already thought to have been agreed and the Ecuadorian keen to make the switch.

United also held some interest in Caicedo, as well as Arsenal-bound Declan Rice, but will not pursue that deal now Mount has signed although, ideally, Ten Hag would like to sign another midfielder if the funds are available.

Pursuing that depends on moving on players, such as Fred, who is of interest to Fulham although they will not meet the initial £20million asking price, and Scott McTominay as United attempt to generate funds to supplement their relatively tight transfer budget which is partly constrained by the need to stay with financial fair play rules.