Manchester United once again find themselves in a less than ideal situation following a summer transfer window that failed to meet expectations. Despite a pressing need to strengthen the squad’s defensive, offensive, and midfield lines, the team has fallen short.
A portion of the blame is being directed at Erik ten Hag, but the majority of the criticism is aimed at the Glazers and the club’s upper management for their ongoing poor recruitment strategies. These strategies have often resulted in either acquiring the wrong players or securing talented individuals at exorbitant fees.
Adding to the frustration, it appears Liverpool’s staff believe United overspent on a recent midfield acquisition — a player who was also on their radar. Mount, formerly of Chelsea, was linked to a move to Liverpool before ultimately joining Manchester United.
James Pearce, contributing to the Walk On Podcast, confirmed that Liverpool’s interest in Mount was genuine. However, he pointed out that Liverpool was not prepared to meet the financial demands that Manchester United eventually agreed to. The Anfield recruitment team valued Mount at around £40m — a full £20m less than what he was later sold to Manchester United for.
Pearce took a closer look at the situation, noting that “Mount made it known that United was his destination of choice.” He added, “It wasn’t as simple as that because the numbers involved in the deal, Liverpool wouldn’t have got involved anyway. They valued Mount at around £40m, and United paid £60m and wages on £250k-a-week plus. Those numbers, Liverpool wouldn’t have got to.”
Looking back, the transaction seems questionable, especially considering Mount was entering the final year of his contract, and other players like James Maddison were moving for smaller fees.
In comparison, Liverpool opted to sign Dominik Szoboszlai for the fee they had initially earmarked for Mount. This decision has already begun to pay off, with Szoboszlai proving to be a more cost-effective and value-driven acquisition than Mount.
