The day has come. Mason Mount has departed Chelsea for pastures new.
Not at the end of a long and successful career at Stamford Bridge, not to try something new in the twilight of his playing days and not following a testimonial to celebrate his talents. Instead, at 24 with one year remaining on his contract, relationship with the club bruised and an unsatisfactory farewell following Chelsea's final match of the season more than a month ago.
It's difficult to argue that Mount did not succeed in being the boy who had a dream, but this was not how anyone expected to wake up.
There is undoubtedly hurt on both sides and in all quarters. For most, Mount was more than a 'consummate professional and a popular figure', as described by Todd Boehly, Behdad Eghbali and Jose E. Feliciano in the club's farewell piece.
There were certainly failures from the club. Mount last signed a contract in 2019 before he had even made his competitive debut for the club. Todd Boehly and co may have signalled that a new deal for the Cobham product was part of their priorities last summer, but given the prominent role Mount had already earned and the Champions League win he'd played a crucial role in, it is almost unthinkable that the 24-year-old was left undervalued for so long.
There were failures in the last 12 months too, perhaps even enough to understand why parting ways had become inevitable. However, there is also plenty of frustration being placed in the direction of Mount too. For some, the narrative that the England international ideally wanted to stay at Chelsea was incongruous with developments in a potential move up north and suspicions arose over the role finances played in discussions.
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Certainly, it feels Manchester United looked to cut more ties between Mount and Chelsea when announcing their new talent, in the hopes of building new ones with their own supporters. The club's football director, John Murtough, gave Mount little room to hide when commenting on the move.
Murtough said: “We were particularly impressed by his strong desire to join United, and his thirst for further success, as we push to drive up our performance levels next season and beyond.”
Ultimately, £60million for a player with just one year remaining feels like it could be a good deal for all parties. As much as it can ever be seen as a good deal to part ways with a two-time Chelsea player of the season who is most likely yet to reach their peak. That Mount has received the number seven at Old Trafford will only serve to reinforce the regard in which he is held.
Manchester United's own desire to complete the deal and allowing Mount to hold an iconic number that has been donned by the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Eric Cantona will have made it easy to see the importance the club have placed on his signature. Two simple reasons that Chelsea did not appear to offer themselves when looking to tie Mount down.
The tenet that the club is bigger than the player will still ring true. Chelsea are transforming their team under a new boss in Mauricio Pochettino in the hope of bouncing back from a 12th-placed finish. It will take success from both parties to ensure neither feels regret however.
