Ten Hag has been ‘aware’ of star for six years and now finally has his chance to sign him

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Manchester United are pursuing a deal for Mason Mount and this is not interest which has developed overnight.

There may not be many Manchester United fans who would have cherry-picked Mason Mount as a first choice transfer target.

Erik ten Hag has earned enough credit in his first season that Manchester United supporters trust his judgment, and with Mason Mount, he is a player he has had his eye on for a while.

Now the manager has a chance to land the midfielder this summer, with The Mail reporting the club is preparing a £55 million bid.

• READ MORE: Manchester United transfer history 2013 to present day

Erik ten Hag admiration of Mason Mount

As with many Chelsea players to come through their academy, he spent time on loan at Vitesse Arnhem in the Netherlands.

In 39 games for the Dutch side, Mount scored 14 goals and provided 10 assists. It was here he caught Erik ten Hag’s eye.

The Evening Standard reported how Mount’s performances made Ten Hag ‘aware’ of his talent.

This included a game in 2017 where Mount came off the bench to score a goal which secured his side a 1-1 draw against Erik ten Hag’s Utrecht.

The Sun reported: “The Old Trafford chief has tracked his progress closely ever since.”

Ten Hag was appointed as Ajax boss in December 2017, and Ten Hag even made enquiries with Chelsea about signing Mount on loan for the 2018/19 season, The Sun reported at the time.

Both manager and player have gone onto bigger things. Ten Hag has won three Eredivisie titles with Ajax and is now leading Manchester United in the Premier League, while Mount established himself as a first team star for Chelsea and won the Champions League.

All of this doesn’t automatically mean Mount would be a success under Ten Hag. But it does show why the manager is reportedly keen on the player, and has an in-depth knowledge of his career development and strengths.