Erik ten Hag assesses defeat to Spurs
Mason Mount’s injury might have inadvertently prevented Manchester United from signing Ryan Gravenberch. The summer arrival will miss several weeks due to a minor injury that could have a major impact on Erik ten Hag’s transfer business heading into the final week of the window.
Mount was replaced in the 85th minute of United’s 2-0 defeat at Tottenham last week. His absence will rule him out of the Red Devils’ Premier League clash with Arsenal on September 3.
But it could also have a detrimental effect on United’s long-term squad planning. Ten Hag has been linked with a move for Bayern Munich’s Ryan Gravenberch in a bid to bolster his midfield.
United’s midfield stars have been criticised for their performances so far this season, and another addition has seemed likely. But Gravenberch will likely only sign if a current Red Devils star departs, it has been claimed.
That is according to the Manchester Evening News, which reports that any incomings - including Gravenberch - would be reliant on outgoing deals as United are carefully managing their finances. Scott McTominay has been strongly linked with a departure, with West Ham supposedly interested.
However, Mount’s injury is likely to keep McTominay at Old Trafford beyond the transfer window. Ten Hag cannot risk losing another midfielder with his options already sparse.
Mount will hope that his injury does not prevent his manager from adding to his squad. The 24-year-old playmaker has already received criticism for his first two displays for United in the Premier League.
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But United icon Rio Ferdinand believes Ten Hag must shoulder the blame for those performances. Speaking on his Five YouTube channel, the former defender said: “You can’t judge a man after two games, you can’t, because there’d be players who became legends who wouldn’t have been legends if they’d been judged after two games and told to get out.
“I’m not here giving loads and loads of excuses to Mason, but that’s a fact. Look at the Chelsea team in recent years, all the players coming in, it’s hard to perform in that team because it’s so all over the place.
“The team at the moment isn’t playing well enough for individuals. The team isn’t playing well enough yet, so that comes under the manager, 100 per-cent. He’s got to get the team playing right. We have to see where he [Mason] fits in. I don’t know where he was brought in to play yet.”