Footage of Mason Mount idolizing Cristiano Ronaldo has resurfaced ahead of his potential summer transfer to Manchester United.
Mason Mount idolized Cristiano Ronaldo as a child in Chelsea’s youth system, with the 24-year-old nearing a summer move to Manchester United. An old video showing Mount mirroring Ronaldo’s iconic free-kick against Portsmouth has resurfaced as he approaches a move to Old Trafford.
Mount has reportedly made it clear he will not be extending his contract at Chelsea beyond the finish next summer in order to force a summer exit.
But the Blues have turned down two United bids worth £40m and £50m for the academy graduate.
The Telegraph reports that a third bid of £50m plus £5m in add-ons has been made, with Chelsea evaluating rather than outright rejecting like the first two.
That suggests Mount is on the brink of a move to United, where he will be able to follow in the footsteps of one of his footballing idols.
In 2020, Chelsea released footage of a young Mount talking to the camera before scoring a superb free-kick.
He said: “I tried to base my free kicks on Ronaldo. Hit the ball with the valve, and it moved. That’s what you do. Top corner! Top trash!”
And Mount then expanded on his admiration for the five-time Ballon d’Or winner and Red Devils legend.
“I think everyone has seen the videos when I was younger basing my free kicks off him [Cristiano Ronaldo],” Mount told Amazon Prime.
“I always watched him very closely when he was at United as a young kid. I loved the way he played, his free-kicks.”
“I’m a huge Pompey fan, so I went to the game when they were playing at Old Trafford, and he scored a free-kick goal against David James.
“I was really in the game, in the corner, so I saw him live, and I think after that I fell in love with technique and what he has done and him as a player.”
Ronaldo is no longer at United, leaving in November after the club terminated his contract to accommodate a move to Saudi Arabia.
But Mount will no doubt be vying to enter club folklore alongside the 38-year-old and could even inherit his number 7.
