Erik ten Hag firmly believes that Mason Mount can be the solution to Manchester United’s goal-scoring woes from the previous season.
The 24-year-old midfielder, who joined United from Chelsea in a deal potentially worth £60 million, had shown promise as a source of goals and assists for his former club before his unexpected move to Old Trafford.
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United struggled with converting clear-cut opportunities throughout the last campaign, and Ten Hag openly acknowledged this issue, stressing the need for improved ruthlessness and clinical finishing in front of goal.
Speaking after United’s 1-0 win over Lyon, Ten Hag said: “I have seen a lot of positives.
“So it was enjoyable to watch, it was how we want to see our team – [on the] front foot, [with a] lot of dynamics, be aggressive – so it was a very good game.
“So, first half, how we started, three massive chances from the start but that is straight, the criticism, you have to score, you have to net.
“That was already our problem last year and we have to realise that, we have to be more ruthless and clinical in those situations.”
However, the Dutch manager is optimistic that Mount’s presence in the team can address these deficiencies and ease the burden on star players like Marcus Rashford and Bruno Fernandes.
The duo were already heavily relied upon for goals and assists in the previous season.
While United is still in the hunt for a striker, Ten Hag emphasized that Mount is more than capable of contributing to the team’s goal-scoring efforts.
In his words: “We’re underperforming [in terms of scoring goals] and we’re aware of it.
“But others have to contribute in that area and, in Mason Mount, we have a player capable of scoring goals, to put Rashford into the position to score more goals and, as a team, we have to score more.”
Atalanta’s Rasmus Hojlund is a striker United set their sights on, having cooled their interest in Tottenham’s Harry Kane.
The 20-year-old Danish international is keen on joining Ten Hag at Old Trafford if a suitable financial package can be negotiated with Atalanta in the coming weeks.
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The Italian club has set a high asking price of around £80 million for Hojlund, which exceeds United’s valuation of the player, estimated at closer to £60 million.
Despite this, United remains interested in securing the services of the talented forward to bolster their attacking options for the upcoming season.
