Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta reportedly thought that his club would sign Mason Mount from Chelsea this summer, as he expected the England international, who has just joined Manchester United, to stay in London.
That’s according to a report in The National, with a source quoted in the piece as stating that Mount was desperate to join Man Utd, despite interest from other clubs such as Arsenal and Liverpool.
It seems that Arteta in particular felt confident of signing Mount at one stage, feeling that the 24-year-old had a preference to remain in London, though he’s just been unveiled at Old Trafford today.
Mount looks an exciting signing for the Red Devils, and there’s no doubt he could have been good enough to make an impact at Arsenal as well.
Arteta ended up raiding Chelsea for Havertz instead, and it will be interesting to compare how the two players get on in the season ahead.
Mount notably combined with Havertz to set the German forward up for the Champions League final winner against Manchester City two years ago, but now both players have left the Blues for two of their biggest rivals.