Erik ten Hag explains why Mason Mount left Chelsea for Man Utd

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has rejected claims Mason Mount was forced out of Chelsea, instead insisting the midfielder "wanted to make the step" to Old Trafford.

Mount entered the final 12 months of his contract with Chelsea last summer and, after a lengthy saga which has been reported in various ways, was ultimately sold to United in a deal worth an initial £55m, with a further £5m in add-ons.

Recent reports claim Mount felt as though he was forced out of Chelsea, who allegedly decided to cash in on him without ever really giving him the chance to stay, but Ten Hag has rejected that narrative.

"I don't think [Chelsea] wanted to sell him," Ten Hag told a press conference ahead of Mount's first return to Stamford Bridge on Thursday. "They wanted to keep him and they even offered him a new contract many times.

"But he wanted to make the step and we were, and we are, very pleased he is a Man Utd player because he has great abilities.

"I am sure he will contribute and he will become a big player for Man Utd."

Mount's switch to United has not exactly gone to plan just yet, with injuries restricting the 25-year-old to just four Premier League starts so far.

He netted his first goal for United in the recent 1-1 draw with Brentford which Ten Hag thought would be a winning strike before a 99th-minute equaliser.

"I was so happy for him," Ten Hag told MUTV. "But so sorry for him also that it wasn't the winner.

"He deserved that moment of glory, maybe it was such a small moment but, for a player who came in and suffered so many injuries and worked so hard all the time, and had so many setbacks, it was so frustrating.

"And then you think you've scored a winner so we were disappointed when we conceded that goal that makes it 1-1. It makes a totally different mood, as you can imagine."

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