Could Mount be final piece in Man Utd midfield jigsaw?

Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Mason Mount during Manchester United's 5-0 pre-season win over Rosenborg By Simon Stone Manchester United reporter in Trondheim Published 32 minutes ago Manchester United's midfield has been the topic of intense discussion all summer. United have already spent £83m to sign Andrey Santos from Chelsea and Youri Tielemans from Aston Villa. However, with Manuel Ugarte ruled out for months with a knee injury and Casemiro leaving when his contract expired at the end of June, there has been expectation United will add a third midfielder to Michael Carrick's squad. Bournemouth duo Alex Scott and Tyler Adams have both been mentioned, while there has been persistent speculation around Roma's Manu Kone. And it seems Real Madrid are willing to discuss Aurelien Tchouameni's situation amid claims they want to sign World Cup winner Rodri from Manchester City. Yet Tchouameni's likely salary and potential transfer fee directly contradict United's aim of keeping control of budgets at a time when they are looking for a left-sided player and a forward to compliment Benjamin Sesko, who is recovering from a shin problem. On the evidence of United's opening two pre-season games, Carrick might have another solution closer to home. Could Mason Mount be the answer? Mount the mentor, leader and perfect partner for Andrey Santos Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Mason Mount took the captain's armband for a spell during the pre-season game with Rosenborg When Mount, who has played most of his career as an attacking midfielder, joined United from Chelsea for £55m in 2023, his ability to play in central midfield was cited as one of the attractions. Although too much time in his first two seasons at Old Trafford was spent dealing with injuries, the 27-year-old was able to make a consistent impact last term. While it is still early days in this pre-season, from the evidence of the opening two games, against Wrexham in Helsinki and an admittedly limited Rosenborg side in Trondheim, there are definite signs Mount and Santos could form a very productive partnership. It is already clear Santos is happy sitting deep, taking the ball off defenders, spotting gaps in passing lanes and pressurising opponents. That allows Mount - who won the last of his 36 England caps four years ago - to use his undoubted abilities on the ball, helps him to find space, and move United up the pitch. It is not something he is generally noted for, but Mount is also not scared to make a tackle. "I've known Andre for a while," said Mount. "I've watched him from afar, since he broke into the first team at Chelsea. "He's a really good player and reads the game very well. "He's a little bit more defensive, so it allows me to push on a little bit more and work off him. "Defensively as well, we're both players that want to get around it, put tackles in, win the ball back and be aggressive. "I've really enjoyed it. It's a position I've played for many years from a