Soccer

Transfer round-up: Mason Mount to join Manchester United from Chelsea in €70m deal

Aston Villa agree €40m deal to sign Spain defender Pau Torres from Villarreal

Aston Villa have agreed to sign Spanish international defender Pau Torres for €40m from Villarreal. Photograph: Fran Santiago/Getty Images
Aston Villa have agreed to sign Spanish international defender Pau Torres for €40m from Villarreal. Photograph: Fran Santiago/Getty Images
Jacob Steinberg
Fabrizio Romano
Thu Jun 29 2023 - 17:45

Manchester United are set to make their first signing of the summer after agreeing a deal to buy Mason Mount from Chelsea for £60 million (€70 million).

Chelsea, who are already closing in almost £200 million (€232 million) in sales during this window, were keen to move on from the Mount saga and a compromise has been found following talks between the two clubs.

United are paying £55 million plus £5 million in add-ons for the midfielder, who was identified as a key target by Erik ten Hag and will sign a five-year deal at Old Trafford with the option of extending it by a year. They are also ramping up their pursuit of the Inter Milan goalkeeper André Onana, who wants to move to Old Trafford.

Mount’s departure from his boyhood club became inevitable after talks over a new contract with Chelsea broke down. The 24-year-old is out of contract next year and he made it clear he has no intention of signing an extension. Mount’s relationship with the Chelsea hierarchy has deteriorated over the past 12 months and he will hope that joining United helps him rediscover his form after a difficult year.

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Arsenal and Liverpool had also shown an interest in the England international, while Thomas Tuchel had designs on bringing him to Bayern Munich, but United have made the strongest push. Ten Hag wants more athleticism in midfield and he admires Mount’s work rate, versatility and technical ability.

United began with an offer of £40 million, moved up to £50 million and submitted a third offer of £55 million last week. Chelsea’s starting point was £70 million plus add-ons but they lowered their asking price to £65 million last Friday. Key sources suggested that United would look to meet Chelsea somewhere in the middle this week.

Chelsea’s decision to sell one of their brightest academy products will cause much debate within the club’s fan base. Mount, who has scored 33 goals in 195 appearances, is a favourite with the Stamford Bridge faithful and Frank Lampard, one of the greatest players in the Stamford Bridge club’s history, saw him as a future Chelsea captain.

Yet Mount struggled with injuries last season and the uncertainty over his future has taken a toll. Mount is on around £75,000 a week and Chelsea made several offers to him, the highest worth around £200,000 a week.

Supporters will remember a dedicated professional who played the assist for Kai Havertz to score the winner in the Champions League final against Manchester City in 2021. But Chelsea are in the middle of an extensive clear out and sold Havertz to Arsenal for £65 million on Thursday. Kalidou Koulibaly, Edouard Mendy and N’Golo Kante have moved to Saudi Arabia, Ruben Loftus-Cheek is joining Milan for £15 million plus add-ons and Hakim Ziyech is due to join Al Nassr.

Meanwhile, Aston Villa have agreed a deal with Villarreal to sign Pau Torres, with the Spain defender expected to cost around €40 million in a move that will see him reunited with former manager Unai Emery.

Torres is already believed to have agreed personal terms for a move to Villa Park, with Villarreal having accepted Villa’s offer for a player who is out of contract at the end of next season following talks on Thursday. He was Emery’s main summer target and the impending move means the 26-year-old will add considerable defensive depth to Villa’s squad.

Torres, who has 23 caps for Spain’s senior team, had also been tracked by Bayern Munich after his impressive performances in La Liga last season. But with the German champions now set to sign Napoli’s Kim Min-jae to Bayern for €50 million, Torres will link up with the Emery once more after he spent two years in charge of Villarreal.

A product of the Spanish club’s youth system, Torres has made more than 170 appearances for Villarreal’s first team and was part of Spain’s squad at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Bayern’s move for Kim – the South Korea defender who has agreed a five-year deal with the German champions – will also allow Paris Saint-Germain to complete the transfer of France defender Lucas Hernandez. The 27-year-old is also expected to cost around €50 million.