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Mason Mount opted to move to Manchester United in the summer of 2023 from Chelsea, hoping to reignite his career at the Theatre of Dreams.

Fans were initially excited about his arrival, especially since he had won the Champions League and the FIFA Club World Cup with the Blues. The Red Devils desperately needed that winning pedigree in the squad after years of struggle.

In a summer where Declan Rice moved to Arsenal and Jude Bellingham joined Real Madrid, the Red Devils’ decision to sign Mount soon came back to haunt them. The Englishman was handed the fabled No. 7 shirt at Old Trafford, but it weighed heavily on his shoulders.

Mount endured an injury-riddled debut campaign, registering just one goal and one assist from 20 games. It was a sign of things to come, with the 26-year-old managing only 26 appearances last season, racking up three goals.

A lack of identity

While injuries were his bane, Mount’s biggest issue was a lack of identity rising from inconsistent positioning. The player was deployed as an 8 and a 10 under Erik ten Hag, and even as a wide playmaker on occasions, but failed to convince in any...