Mount torn ahead of Chelsea return as he bids to win over Man Utd fans

Mason Mount looked really sad the last time he visited Stamford Bridge.

This Thursday evening, he’s coming back for the first time, but now he’s playing for Manchester United. It’s going to be another emotional moment for him because he spent 18 years playing for Chelsea.

Remember when we saw Mount looking upset, walking off the field with Chelsea’s physio, Billy McCulloch, after the final home game last season? That showed us just how hard it was for him to leave the team he grew up supporting.

His move to Manchester United for £55 million hasn’t been easy. But last weekend, he scored a crucial goal against Brentford, coming off the bench in the 96th minute.

That goal meant a lot to him, especially considering the tough time he had in his last season at Chelsea.

Mount has had a lot of injuries since joining Manchester United nine months ago. In fact, he hasn’t played in 26 out of the 41 matches this season because of three separate injuries.

For Mount, being injured for so long is unusual. He really wanted to impress his new team, but playing through a pubic bone injury at the end of last season for Chelsea might have made him more prone to getting hurt.

Now that he’s fit again, Erik ten Hag, United’s manager, has said they’ll be careful with him. Mount will probably start on the bench on Thursday. If he does get to play, it’s going to be a mix of emotions for him.

He’s been with Chelsea since he was six, signed up for the Under-9 team, and played 195 games for the senior team. He even helped Chelsea win the Champions League in 2021.

Mount has a deep connection with Chelsea, but he wasn’t happy about leaving. It wasn’t his choice; the decision came from higher up in the club. Chelsea needed to sell players to follow the Premier League rules about making a profit, and Mount, being an academy graduate with just a year left on his contract, seemed like a good option to bring in some money.

Mount hasn’t really spoken much about his side of the story since then.

It’s a tough situation for him. He wants to win over the United fans but also respects Chelsea. Many players who left Chelsea last summer haven’t really talked about what happened or why they left.

Most fans at Stamford Bridge will probably show Mount respect. After all, he helped set up the winning goal in the Champions League and was named Chelsea’s player of the year in 2021 and 2022.

It seems like history might repeat itself with another Chelsea player, Conor Gallagher. He’s also facing online criticism and might be sold this summer for around £45-50 million. Like Mount last year, Gallagher hasn’t made progress in talks to renew his contract.

There’s interest from Tottenham in Gallagher, who Chelsea sees as another academy player who could help them with their finances.

Manchester United is hoping Mount can bring something new to their midfield as they try to secure a top-four spot and win the FA Cup.

Mount, on the other hand, hasn’t given up on his dream of playing for England in the Euro 2024. He’s hoping for better times ahead.