Manchester United have finally got their summer business up and running, albeit later than they would have wanted thanks to Chelsea's haggling.
Three bids went in from the Old Trafford club and all of them were turned down by the Stamford Bridge club. The Londoners were determined to get every pound they could from United.
United were rational with their transfer policy to not pay grossly over the odds, as they have done in the past at times, and rightly pointed to the figure Chelsea parted with for Raheem Sterling last summer, just shy of £50m. Like Mount, Sterling had a year left on his deal at Manchester City.
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READ MORE: What Erik ten Hag told Mason Mount after he signed for United
Eventually, Chelsea realised the situation and agreed to United's generous £55m initial fee for the England international. Should Mount be successful enough at United, a further £5m fee will be paid to the London club and will be a relatively small extra price to pay for having such a talent as he approaches the peak years of his playing career.
With the ball now rolling, United can turn their attentions to their next moves in the transfer market. A glance at the current squad shows clear priorities for Erik ten Hag to strengthen.
As things stand due to David de Gea's contract expiring and a fresh one not being agreed, United currently have Dean Henderson and Tom Heaton to call upon in goal. With question marks over Henderson's future at the club, Heaton is the only one guaranteed to still be in M16 by the time the new season starts.
Andre Onana is United's prime goalkeeping target this summer, regardless of whether De Gea agrees to extend his time at United or not. Inter Milan have the stopper under contract at the San Siro until the summer of 2027 and can thus demand a sizable fee for his services.
And then there is of course the need to bring in a top-class centre forward, the priority position to fill heading into the summer. Several names have been mentioned including the likes of Harry Kane, Victor Osimhen, Rasmus Højlund and Randal Kolo Muani - all of these are likely to be expensive investments, whichever one is pursued.
Having committed £60m on the deal to bring Mount to Old Trafford and Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations regarding spending and finances in the background, United cannot spend to vast levels like they have in the past. Unless they sell players and bring in money to help boost the transfer kitty.
And that could well be the priority for United next up after Mount's arrival was confirmed. United's squad is bloated in certain areas and certain members have value which could bring in valuable funds.
Henderson is wanted by Nottingham Forest on a permanent deal at the City Ground after a successful loan spell. A fee of around £30m has been mentioned and the stopper presents one of the more sellable assets within United's squad.
Central defence is an area of the team which has plenty of options that can be jettisoned if need be. Harry Maguire is a potential departure, While the likes of Eric Bailly, Alex Telles and Brandon Williams are also assets which could generate funds and are expected to be moved on.
Fred has been linked with a move to Fulham, while Scott McTominay is another central midfielder who could be sold to raise funds. Question marks remain over both Jadon Sancho and Anthony Martial's long-term futures at Old Trafford.
While unlikely that all of these players will move on to pastures new this summer, selling a certain amount and bringing in a level of funds as a result will prove to be key to United's transfer business in the coming months and how much financial muscle they can flex. After Mount's arrival, exits are just as important as further incomings.
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