By BEN WILLCOCKS, ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
Published: 09:35 EST, 9 December 2025 | Updated: 09:39 EST, 9 December 2025
When Manchester United poached Mason Mount from Chelsea in July 2023, albeit for a hefty fee of £60million, there was a genuine feeling the Premier League giants had landed an excellent signing.
Identified as Erik ten Hag's priority transfer target, the England international arrived at Old Trafford as the first of half a dozen summer signings and was honoured with the iconic No 7 jersey, previously sported by club legends George Best, Bryan Robson, Eric Cantona, David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo.
A Champions League winner at Stamford Bridge, he had been named Chelsea's Player of the Season in both 2021 and 2022, the first man to win it in successive campaigns since Eden Hazard. On the international stage, he was a regular with England under Gareth Southgate and had played key roles at both Euro 2020 and the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Unfortunately, as has so often been the case with recent wearers of United's legendary shirt number, Mount, 26, has struggled to grasp the spotlight, reluctantly falling into the periphery during two disappointing years at Old Trafford.
And yet, with two goals in his last three games, Mount is showing signs of his old self again under Ruben Amorim, having battled through the plague of injuries he has been forced to contend with since touching down in Manchester in 2023.
Daily Mail Sport has explored why the coming weeks offer Mount his best opportunity to revive his Manchester United career, secure a long-term place in Amorim's starting XI, and mount a dramatic late push for Thomas Tuchel's World Cup squad.
The next few weeks offers Mason Mount a huge opportunity to revive his Man United career
Mount scored midway through the second half at Molineux
He has endued a difficult period since joining Man United in 2023
Mount arrived at Man United for a fee of £60million including bonuses in the summer of 2023
AFCON exits open the door
After Manchester United splashed almost £200m on new attackers in the summer, Mount would have been forgiven for feeling downbeat about his chances of breaking back into the first team.
Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko, United's three high-profile signings, were clearly brought in to operate as the attacking trio in Amorim's favoured 3-4-3 system, with captain Bruno Fernandes deployed in a deeper midfield role.
With Sesko injured and Cunha struggling for goal contributions, Mbeumo has been the success story of Manchester United' summer window with seven goals in all competitions so far, supported superbly by makeshift right-wing back Amad Diallo behind him.
The in-form duo will head to the Africa Cup of Nations next week in a huge blow to Amorim, along with Moroccan defender Noussair Mazraoui.
Representing Cameroon and Ghana respectively, Mbeumo and Diallo could be absent for as many as six or seven Premier League matches if their countries reach the final, giving Mount as others ample opportunity for game time.
To date, Mount has started seven of United's 15 league games so far, missing just one matchday squad through injury with a knock. Used sparingly by Amorim, perhaps to manage his fitness after a troubling spell with injury, Mount has chalked up 584 minutes from a possible 1,350 available so far, just under half.
Expect this to rise significantly after Mbeumo and Diallo depart for AFCON. The versatile footballer is capable of operating either as one of Amorim's two attacking midfielders or as a false nine leading the line, with only Cunha and Joshua Zirkzee to contend with in these roles until Sesko's return at the end of the month.
If he can build on his two goals in three games during this period, Mount may well play himself into the team long-term by the time AFCON concludes.
Mount's game time is bound to increase with the likes of Bryan Mbeumo departing imminently
Mbeumo and Amad Diallo (top) are off to the Africa Cup of Nations from the start of next week
Injuries have plagued Mount since he joined United - but he has been free of issues this season
Injury free - for now
The key obstacle standing in Mount's way since his £60m switch to Old Trafford has been injuries, but the creative midfielder appears to have put the worst of his issues behind him.
Having missed 12 out of Chelsea's final 13 league games of the season before signing for United, Mount arrived with an injury history and went on to suffer a multitude of problems during Ten Hag's tenure.
A series of thigh, calf and hamstring injuries made him unavailable for 20 of United's 38 Premier League games in 2023-24, as he chalked up just five starts in the division that season.
The following campaign, he suffered another injury setback and made only 20 of the Red Devils' matchday squads in the Premier League, falling further down the pecking order as United sacked Ten Hag and brought in Amorim mid-season.
Mount recovered in time to feature during the final nine league games of last season, starting the last four under Amorim, and has since remained injury free barring a small knock which kept him out of the Manchester derby in September.
If Mount can stay on top of his fitness through the congested Christmas schedule and come out the other side unscathed, it will show Amorim that he is capable of playing a pivotal role for the remainder of the season, rather than a bit-part one.
Amorim is a big fan
Not everyone has found it easy to earn Amorim's respect and praise since he arrived at Manchester United 13 months ago, but Mount has done a pretty fine job so far.
While bomb squad outcasts Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho fell out with Amorim and moved on to new ventures at Barcelona and Chelsea respectively over the summer, Mount kept a relatively low profile as he knuckled down in training.
Ruben Amorim waxed lyrical about Mount's performance against Wolves after the 4-1 victory
He has established himself as a key leader at Carrington
Mount was singled out for praise after scoring against Wolves
Firmly in Amorim's good books, it's time for the ex-England star to strike while the iron is hot
Amorim's fondness of Mount has led to the ex-England star being given chances up front over Zirkzee and, at times, Cunha - despite him being viewed more traditionally as a midfielder or lopsided winger.
Thanks to his work rate and off-ball movement, Mount is highly skilled at pressing the opposition from the front and bringing the midfield into the game with his link-up play.
Amorim singled Mount out for praise after he scored during United's 4-1 demolition of Wolves on Monday night.
'He can defend, he can attack, the quality when he touches the ball is really good, so it's not a surprise for me,' Amorim said after the match. 'He's a different type of leader. It's not like Licha [Lisandro Martínez], for example. It's a guy that leads by the example.
'It doesn't matter the situation, Mason Mount is always the same thing - training, talking, dealing with people around Carrington. That is not easy, so he's a very, very good player.'
Firmly in Amorim's good books, it's time for Mount to strike while the iron is hot.
He's no longer competing with Bruno
The only question mark surrounding Mount when he joined Manchester United was how he would fit in alongside undroppable club captain Bruno Fernandes.
The Portuguese midfielder has been a mainstay in the team since his arrival in 2020 and with good reason, given he has been the club's best player for almost half a decade at Old Trafford.
Mount and Red Devils captain Bruno Fernandes are no longer competing for the same position
Fernandes (left) is being deployed deeper under the United boss, allowing for the likes of Mount and Matheus Cunha (centre) to operate in their more natural positions further forward
When Mount unpacked his suitcase in Manchester, Fernandes was the pivotal No 10 in Ten Hag's 4-2-3-1 system, forcing the ex-Chelsea man either deeper or further wide every time the pair shared the pitch.
Although versatile, it's clear that Mount is best suited to the No 10 role, proficient at picking up the ball in the half spaces and creating opportunities for the front three, while chipping in with the odd goal himself.
His lack of physicality has often been exposed in deeper midfield roles, and he is not blessed with express pace to punish defenders out wide.
But under Amorim, who continues to deploy Fernandes deeper in a double pivot alongside Casemiro or Manuel Ugarte, Mount is free to operate higher up the pitch, where he is at his most effective.
The full-backs are tasked with offering width and stretching the pitch, allowing Mount to remain inside and pick up the ball more frequently.
Although scrutiny has rightly fallen on Amorim for continuing to play Fernandes further from the penalty box, it has opened up a new opportunity for Mount to operate in his preferred position.
Last World Cup hope?
Despite being one of Tuchel's former favourites at Chelsea, Mount is currently miles behind the pack in the World Cup squad debate.
Jude Bellingham, Morgan Rogers, Phil Foden, Eberechi Eze and Cole Palmer are among the attacking midfielders expected to make the plane for next summer's tournament, while Morgan Gibbs-White and Alex Scott will still feel they are in with a realistic chance after making the German's last international squad.
Mount will still hope to make a last-gasp bid for Thomas Tuchel's England World Cup squad
The midfielder, pictured for England in 2020, would bring tournament experience to the group
Tuchel and Mount had an excellent relationship at Chelsea during the German's time there
While by no means impossible, the 36-cap star will need a brilliant next six months to throw his name into the gauntlet, having fallen well down the pecking order since the 2022 World Cup.
Consistent minutes, excellent performances and a sustained injury free spell will be the items highest on Tuchel's checklist when it comes to Mount, who would be an intriguing pick for the 26-man World Cup squad.
With England expected to name a relatively inexperienced group, Mount's know-how in major tournaments is perhaps something which sets him out from the competition, if he is able to carve out a fruitful run.
Mount has even got the conversation started after his impressive display at Wolves, with former England international Gabby Agbonlahor urging it isn't too late for the midfielder to stage a late push.
'Mason Mount was excellent for United last night,' he told talkSPORT. 'I thought he was the standout player on the pitch by quite a distance. Actually a texter said I think he'll be England's number 10 for the World Cup next year.
'Well I don't agree with that but it's a question of whether he can force himself in… Why not even at this late stage?'
For now, establishing a long-term role in the Manchester United first team should be Mount's top priority, starting with Monday's clash against Bournemouth at Old Trafford.