Transfer Gossip: Ten Hag to personally persuade dynamic midfielder to choose Man Utd; West Ham become favourites for £40m ace
Erik ten Hag is ready to take charge of negotiations for Man Utd to sign a coveted Premier League midfielder, while West Ham are at the front of the queue for one of his international colleagues – all in Tuesday’s transfer gossip.
TEN HAG TEMPTING MOUNT TO MAN UTD
Man Utd’s pursuit of Mason Mount from Chelsea has reached the next stage after a report revealed how Erik ten Hag is ready to play his part in the process.
Ten Hag has chosen Mount as one of his main targets for the upcoming summer transfer window. It will be important for Man Utd to get their business right after breaking back into the Champions League under the Dutch manager, who has also led them to Carabao Cup glory and will be aiming to cap the season off with success in the FA Cup final.
Finding a ‘dynamic’ midfielder is one of Ten Hag’s requests for the summer, as stated by the Daily Telegraph. Of course, Mount would fit the bill.
The England international is approaching the final year of his contract with Chelsea, where he came through the youth ranks. With no sign of an agreement for an extension, it now looks likely he will be sold this summer.
A number of Chelsea’s Premier League rivals are queuing up. Other than Man Utd, there is interest from Liverpool and Arsenal.
But there is a belief that Man Utd are in pole position – and it seems Ten Hag is ready to make sure of it.
According to the Telegraph, Ten Hag is ‘confident he can persuade’ Mount to choose Man Utd as his next destination.
Of course, it will still hinge on whether the club can make the best bid to Chelsea. However, working on the personal side of things too can only help.
As things stand, the Telegraph is unaware of how much Mount might cost if Chelsea cash in. But after some frustrations in the January window, Ten Hag will be hoping to be backed – by whoever owns Man Utd at that point.
WEST HAM LEAD WARD-PROWSE RACE
Southampton have set an asking price of £40m for James Ward-Prowse, whose leading suitors as things stand are West Ham.
That’s according to The Sun, which suggests the Southampton captain could be one of the most valuable players the club could cash in on after relegation to the Championship.
West Ham are long-term admirers of Ward-Prowse, so seem to be the main candidates to immediately lift him back up to the Premier League at present.
They are currently bracing themselves for the potential loss of their own captain, Declan Rice, who has ambitions of stepping up to the Champions League.
Even at £40m, Ward-Prowse would cost a fraction of the price West Ham would be hoping to earn by selling Rice – and there is a feeling he could still have resale value for the future.
The 28-year-old is still under contract at Southampton until 2026, though, which means the relegated outfit aren’t as vulnerable as they might otherwise have been.
Still, West Ham could take their chance to test Southampton’s resolve.
EVERTON REIGNITE STRIKER PURSUIT
After avoiding relegation, Everton have identified El Bilal Toure as an ideal striker target to keep them safe next season.
Toure currently plays for Almeria and has been earmarked as a potential replacement for Neal Maupay, who is being targeted by Salernitana.
Everton were actually linked with the speedy Toure last summer. Recently, it has become clear that they might be back in the hunt for him.
Finding a more regular source of goals would be useful for Sean Dyche’s side. Toure could become their solution if they are willing to pay the £25m asking price Almeria have set.
Before bidding, though, Everton are eager to check on Toure’s fitness after a recent injury issue.
