Explained: Why Mason Mount rejected £200,000 Chelsea contract offer and decided to join Manchester United

• Mount left boyhood club after 18 years
• Joined Man Utd in £60m transfer
• Move comes after breakdown in talks with Chelsea

WHAT HAPPENED? Mount completed a £60 million ($76m) transfer to Old Trafford on Wednesday, bringing an end to a saga that has dragged on since the end of the season. The deal sees Mount leave his boyhood club, having joined the youth academy at the age of six and blossoming into a star player.

WHY DID MOUNT LEAVE? Mount and Chelsea were locked in negotiations over a new contract after the club's new owners, led by Todd Boehly, completed their takeover last year. However, The Athletic reports that both parties were confident an agreement could be reached until January, when Chelsea withdrew their latest contract offer and warned the player he would be sold in the summer if he did not sign a deal.

The Blues argued that the 24-year-old's disappointing performances in 2022-23 meant he did not deserve to be paid more than his fellow academy graduate Reece James, who had recently committed to a new contract. In February, they offered a £200,000 (£254,000) weekly wage and a £70m (£88.9m) release clause, but it would only have extended his stay for another 12 months. Frustrated, Mount began looking at other options and Chelsea's higher-ups took that as a sign he did not want to stay.

WHAT THEY SAID: “It’s never easy leaving the club where you grew up, but Manchester United will provide an exciting new challenge for the next phase of my career," Mount said to United's website, outlining his ambition with the club. "Having competed against them, I know just how strong a squad it is that I’m joining, and I can’t wait to be part of this group’s drive to win major trophies."

IN THREE PHOTOS:

THE BIGGER PICTURE: With Chelsea missing out on European football next season after finishing 12th in the Premier League, the midfielder believes United are in a better place to compete for major titles given they won the Carabao Cup, reached the FA Cup final and came in third in the table.

WHAT'S NEXT FOR MOUNT: The England international will begin preparations for the new season with his United team-mates and will hope to help them improve on last term's promising start under Erik ten Hag.