Mason Mount has confirmed he’s leaving Chelsea with the England star set to sign for Manchester United.
The 24-year-old attacking midfielder had been a Chelsea player since he was six, rising through the academy to the first team where he has since become an England international.
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But he has ended his long association with the club to join Premier League rivals Man United in a £55m move, although he did not say where he was going next in his heartfelt video confirming the news.
Mount said: “Hi Chelsea fans. Given the speculation over the last six months, this may not come as a surprise to you but it doesn’t make it any easier to tell you that I’ve made the decision to leave Chelsea.
“I feel you deserve more than just a written statement so I wanted to tell you directly how grateful I’ve been for all of your support over the last 18 years.
“I know some of you won’t be happy with my decision but it’s what’s right for me in this moment in my career.
“I joined Chelsea when I was six years old and we’ve been through a lot together winning the Youth Cup, my Player of the Year awards, the Super Cup, the Club World Cup and of course that unforgettable night when we won the Champions League.
“I want to say thank you to the academy, Jim [Fraser] and Neil [Bath], for being so influential to me from such a young age, the managers I’ve worked under, Frank [Lampard], Thomas [Tuchel] and Graham [Potter], the backroom staff, the unsung heroes of Cobham, all of my teammates over the years that have become my brothers, my family for the continuous love and support and most importantly you guys for sticking with me throughout.
“Wish you all the best.”
Mount was at Man United’s training ground on Monday to complete his medical and has already been getting to his know his new teammates.
Mount is one of many exits at Stamford Bridge in the transfer window, with Kai Havertz, Mateo Kovacic and Kalidou Koulibaly among the others.
His competitive Chelsea debut actually came against United in August 2019, but it was not one to remember as the Blues were beaten 4-0 at Old Trafford.
However, his time with his boyhood club was a success as he won the Champions League, Super Cup and Club World Cup.
Mount, who has scored 27 Premier League goals in 129 games, could now play his first game for Erik ten Hag’s side in Oslo in a pre-season friendly against Leeds.
United had seen three bids knocked back by Chelsea for Mount, whose contract was due to expire next summer.
But the two clubs finally came to an agreement on the fee with Mount making it clear he wanted to go despite the arrival of Mauricio Pochettino as Chelsea’s new manager.
United have paid an initial £55m plus a potential further £5m in add-ons.
