Mason Mount wore the captain's armband for Manchester United in their 5-0 pre-season thrashing of Rosenborg on Friday — and the 27-year-old says he 'loves' being entrusted as a leader. Handed the role by manager Michael Carrick after Harry Maguire was substituted, Mount was one of the most experienced players on the pitch. 'You have different types of leaders,' he said. 'I see myself as one who leads by example and never stops working. I've been captain previously, years ago, so I love the role.'
Mount's performance alongside summer signing Andrey Santos offered a glimpse of a midfield pairing that could ease United's transfer headaches. The club have already spent £83m on Santos and Youri Tielemans, but with Manuel Ugarte sidelined for months with a knee injury and Casemiro departing after his contract expired, there has been persistent speculation about a third midfield addition. Bournemouth's Alex Scott and Tyler Adams have been linked, as has Roma's Manu Kone, while Real Madrid are reportedly willing to discuss Aurelien Tchouameni — though his salary and fee are said to contradict United's budget constraints.
“Mount handed captain's armband and thrives alongside new signing Santos in pre-season win.”
Mount, who joined United for £55m in 2023 and has battled injuries in his first two seasons, formed an encouraging partnership with Santos. The Brazilian, signed for £50m from Chelsea, sat deep, took the ball off defenders and pressured opponents, allowing Mount to push forward. 'I've known Andrey for a while,' Mount said. 'He's a little bit more defensive, so it allows me to push on a little bit more and work off him. Defensively as well, we're both players that want to get around it, put tackles in, win the ball back and be aggressive. I've really enjoyed it.'
With Shea Lacey, Joshua Zirkzee, Justin Devaney, Harry Amass and Ethan Williams scoring against Rosenborg, United now face friendlies against Atletico Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Leeds United and AC Milan before opening their competitive campaign away to newly-promoted Hull City. Whether Carrick still pursues another midfielder may depend on how long Mount and Santos can maintain their fledgling chemistry.