Manchester United might have already missed out on the perfect Mason Mount alternative

If Manchester United’s hardline stance over their bid for Mason Mount doesn’t draw Chelsea back to the table, then finding an alternative midfielder will be another challenge in what is proving to be a complicated transfer window.

United had hoped to make Mount their first signing of the summer and a move for the 24-year-old looked the easiest to do, with Erik ten Hag also keen on a goalkeeper and a striker. But circumstances have conspired against United.

Chelsea’s need to sell has eased following the imminent departures of Mateo Kovacic to Manchester City and Kai Havertz to Arsenal, while Edouard Mendy, Kalidou Koulibaly and Hakim Ziyech are all closing in on moves to Saudi Arabia. Chelsea needed to raise transfer funds by the end of June to balance the books and they have done just that.

So selling Mount is no longer time sensitive for Chelsea. A departure this summer remains likely, with the England international out of contract next year, but the negotiating position of his club has been strengthened.

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That’s led to United having three bids for the midfielder rejected, the latest worth £50million and a further £5million in add-ons. That offer remains available to Chelsea, but United have no plans to increase it and are now exploring alternative targets.

One of those is Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo, but the 21-year-old is a different profile of player to Mount and is likely to cost at least £80million this summer. Instead, the ideal alternative to Mount might have already left the Amex Stadium this summer.

For the final couple of months of this season, it was Liverpool who were heavily linked with Mount as they sought to rebuild their