Liverpool will be grateful that they missed out on signing Mason Mount from Chelsea and instead acquired Dominik Szoboszlai.
In 2023, Liverpool was actively seeking new midfielders after a lackluster previous season highlighted weaknesses in that area.
They parted ways with James Milner, Jordan Henderson, Fabinho, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, and Naby Keita, bringing in Alexis Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch, and Wataru Endo to refresh their squad. Although Liverpool had shown interest in Mount as early as 2022, his high wage demands and transfer cost were deterrents. Manchester United ultimately spent £60m on Mount, while Liverpool signed Szoboszlai for a similar fee but with a lower salary—Mount earns £250,000 a week at United compared to Szoboszlai’s £120,000 at Liverpool.
Mount’s first season at Manchester United was marked by injuries and underwhelming performance, resulting in just 14 appearances and two goal contributions. In contrast, Szoboszlai enjoyed an impressive debut season at Liverpool, playing a crucial role as the team rebounded. Szoboszlai made 45 appearances and contributed 11 goals, proving to be a more effective and reliable addition for Liverpool.
Even early in the current season, Szoboszlai has outperformed Mount. Szoboszlai boasts an average WhoScored rating of 6.85 from his two Premier League appearances, while Mount has a rating of just 6.20 from his two matches.
This disparity isn’t surprising, as Mount is not the only recent player to have struggled at Old Trafford.
Mount is Stuck in United’s ‘Graveyard’
Gary Neville has characterized Mason Mount’s move to Old Trafford as joining a ‘graveyard,’ a place where recent additions to Erik ten Hag’s squad have struggled. Neville pointed out that Mount, like others who have faltered at Manchester United, has failed to make a positive impact.
Neville noted that while Harry Maguire was linked with Manchester City and Mount with Liverpool, their transfers to United have not gone well. Maguire, once a top Premier League center-back, has seen his form and reputation decline since joining United. Similarly, Antony, who shone at Ajax, has not lived up to expectations in England.
Mount has also struggled with injuries and disappointing performances, failing to justify his high wages or the £60m transfer fee. In contrast, Liverpool can feel fortunate for missing out on Mount and instead securing Szoboszlai.
All statistics courtesy of Capology and WhoScored and accurate as of 27/08/2024
