Mason Mount announced his Chelsea exit on Tuesday night via the tried and true medium of a heartfelt video message posted on social media.
In the clip, Mount took the time to say his goodbyes while laying out the reasons for his departure. He also sincerely thanked Blues fans for their continued support during his lengthy association with the London club he first joined at 6 years old.
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His big transfer to Manchester United was finally completed Wednesday, with the transfer fee being around £60 million. The 24-year-old England international had explained that he felt it was the right time to leave Stamford Bridge in search of a new challenge.
✍️ It’s official.
Welcome to Manchester United, Mason Mount! 🔴#MUFC
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) July 5, 2023
“Hi Chelsea fans, given the speculation over the last six months, this may not come as a surprise to you, but it doesn’t make it any easier to tell you that I’ve made the decision to leave Chelsea,” Mount said. “I feel you deserve more than just a written statement, so I wanted to tell you directly how grateful I’ve been for all of your support over the last 18 years.
“I know some of you won’t be happy with my decision, but it’s what’s right for me at this moment in my career.”
While many supporters duly expressed their gratitude for the role Mount played in Chelsea’s recent successes, including a Champions League triumph in 2021, the departing forward’s message wasn’t enough to placate everybody.
Indeed, some noticed that the farewell video appeared to have been recorded and prepared quite a while ago, as Mount appears on camera with dyed blonde hair — while leaked photos of his medical at Carrington revealed that he has reverted back to his natural brown hair.
Others criticised the former Blue for lacking emotion and seemingly reading his message from a script, while others accused him of using algorithmic AI chat software to write the letter for him!
However, with the benefit of a little additional context, it quickly becomes evident that Mount’s goodbye to the Chelsea family is hardly the oddest attempt made by a player to leave a club on good terms. Far from it, in fact.
