Most **Man United**fans feel the transfer window would not be complete without someone to stabilise the middle of the park.
However, if there are no more incomings, a forgotten man might rise again.
A signing still to see significant minutes
Mount was a divisive figure upon his arrival. A contract dispute with Chelsea, his boyhood club, meant he chose to leave after 18 years with the Blues, and his form had dipped significantly after he had two strong seasons as a pillar of the starting eleven for Frank Lampard and Thomas Tuchel.
On top of that, he put pen to paper with the Red Devils for an initial fee of £55 million despite only having one year left on his contract. If the club wanted him that badly to not wait until he became a free agent, the **England**international had to hit the ground running and repay a hefty transfer fee.
Instead, he has spent most of the last two years on the sidelines. The 26-year-old was out of action for almost 30 matches with a series of physical issues, including a calf strain, in his first season. Last term, he was again absent for most of the games until March due to a string of hamstring injuries.
A little over 1100 Premier League minutes, and one goal, is far from what the **Old Trafford**faithful would have expected to see from this signing. Yet, he might still have a part to play in the plans.
Mount walked into the club ahead of the second season for Erik ten Hag. The Dutchman came with the brief of bringing a forward-thinking and offensive approach. But what transpired was a muddled, messy reign, and nowhere on the pitch was a better reflection of the struggles than the midfield.
**Fred**had left for **Galatasaray**in the same summer that Mount arrived. The Brazilian was sometimes more sloppy than a great exponent of samba skill with the ball at his feet. However, he had the agility, mobility, and eye to win second balls that can make a midfield work, especially in the English game.
Waiting in the wings was Scott McTominay. Against **Brentford**and Sheffield United, he bailed out the Red Devils with his quick feet in the box and ability to score goals. As a box-to-box shuttler, he could also look more functional than fun to his eye, but ten Hag recognised his worth to the group.
The Scotsman has since shone at Napoli, while things have gone from bad to worse in Manchester.
Sofyan Amrabat never looked likely to be an answer to the role of the six in the year he spent on loan from Fiorentina. The board backed ten Hag with a £51 million outlay on Manuel Ugarte, who has massive flaws in his game. The Uruguayan gets about the pitch, but his lack of refinement with the ball makes it blatantly clear why Luis Enrique was happy to let him leave Paris after only one year.
On top of that, the 24-year-old is more of a rattler than someone who can smartly shield a defence and cover lots of ground. That has left more forward-thinking players with too much of a burden to bear.
Kobbie Mainoo broke through into the first team in the 2023/24 season, scoring in the **FA Cup**final and starring for **England**at the Euros. Yet, his case of second-season syndrome was also a story of the systemic struggles in the squad as someone without the presence to protect the midfield by himself.
Club captain Bruno Fernandes has filled the role of talisman from the number ten with the Red Devils. When **Ruben Amorim**arrived, he felt that his compatriot could cover in a deeper position.
The Portuguese player can still arrive in the final third from deep and has the licence to get his foot on the ball. However, there is no escaping the fact his best work happens in a free role high up the field.
How does Mount maintain the balance?
Indeed, Fernandes featured in the double pivot with **Casemiro**in the 1-0 loss to **Arsenal**on Sunday afternoon. Supporters have seen this unit as an area where they are crying out for change, and will hope that the links with Carlos Baleba, or an alternative, produce one more arrival this month.
However, there was a general belief that the team already looked much better than they did a few months ago. Better standards of fitness across the squad with a full preseason have helped, while the quality of Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha can make a major difference in the final third. But, the club are also indebted to the silent work of Mount in the middle of the park at Old Trafford.
The Red Devils were able to run more aggressively, set traps, and force problems for Arsenal, who were much sloppier on the ball than usual. Mikel Arteta, as a player or manager, has seldom travelled well to this ground, but having a man like Mount to set the tone off the ball is a big plus for the team.
On top of that, he helped to make up for some of the faults of the hosts in their midfield unit. The value of Baleba would be in his mobility and ball progression through passing or long carries. Mount is a different player, but he showed how he could operate as the glue to connect to the attackers.
His switches and swivelled passes revealed a good range of passing for a player whose best work is often talked about off the ball. But there was plenty of well-timed movement, too, to help Patrick Dorgu on the left, and he fared much better than Diogo Dalot as an outlet on the other flank.
At times, the midfielder even crept into the final third to link up with Cunha. It is an area he can have a big impact with his half turn and swivelled shot on show several times during the last few months.
Mount made way for Benjamin Sesko to earn his first minutes for the team upfront. Rightly, fans will ask themselves how much the Englishman's inclusion relates to the opposition, as there is a balancing act between having enough firepower and the stability in the midfield to empower their new forwards.
But maybe Mount means there is less of an opportunity cost. Amorim has admitted he could play in the pivot himself, and it would not be a surprise to see him play routinely, provided he can stay fit.