Louis Saha wants to see a lot more out of Mason Mount in the upcoming Premier League season, and he believes a bit of competition for his place could help the 25-year-old reach his potential.
Mount joined Manchester United last summer after several seasons at Chelsea, with whom he made his name as a versatile attacking midfielder. The Red Devils paid £55 million for the England international, but Mount's first season at Old Trafford was marred by injury and poor play.
With United now reported to be in pursuit of PSG youngster Xavi Simons, Saha assessed Mount's maiden campaign with United.
Speaking to Paddy Power, retired United star Saha didn't have much good to say about Mount's first season but he hopes the upcoming campaign will present an opportunity for improvement by the former Chelsea man.
“I know that Mason Mount has the potential to make us all forget about this horrific season, but it may be healthy to have competition," Saha said. "Xavi Simons has been playing at the highest level, scoring and assisting, which is something we missed last year. Mason Mount was missing games through injury last year, but in some of the games he did play, he didn’t show quality or courage, and his performances were not good enough.
“He is under pressure – it's totally normal given his quality and the price tag, and the stature that he has. We’re expecting much more, and I hope he can find a solution – other than a few glimpses in pre-season, I haven’t seen any quality from him. It’s concerning, and he has to accept that Manchester United need someone who creates way more chances for the forwards. Last season, Bruno Fernandes was the only person doing that consistently, and that’s not what we need.”
Live on DAZN: Claressa Shields vs. Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse. Click here for details.