Manchester United have agreed a £55million fee, rising to £60m with add-ons, for Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount. The deal comes five days after United expressed dissatisfaction with Chelsea's conduct during negotiations.
United sources credit football director John Murtough for holding the line and securing a good deal, after the club had a £55m offer rejected last week. United refused to match Chelsea's £65m valuation, wary of overpaying and compromising their budget for a new striker.
Murtough pushed back against the 'United tax' that has plagued the club since the 2013 signing of Marouane Fellaini. In that case, United paid £27.5m for a player who had a £23m release clause that had expired.
Mount, 24, enters the final year of his Chelsea contract and has agreed a five-year deal with United, with an option for an additional year. The £60m fee over six years works out at an average of £10m per season.
Chelsea's recent £65m sale of Kai Havertz to Arsenal left them with little room to negotiate. Mount is still on holiday and is expected to undergo a medical at United's Carrington training complex next week.
