"He's a Manchester United player now" - Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino snubs Mason Mount question with straightforward response

Mauricio Pochettino batted away a question about former Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount after the player's high-profile transfer to Manchester United.

The Englishman's move to Old Trafford for a fee of £60 million with add-ons has been one of the most-talked-about transfers this summer. Many Chelsea fans found the news hard to digest considering the player left the Blues after an 18-year stay.

Pochettino was asked at a recent press conference if he would have wanted Mount in his team next season. The former Tottenham Hotspur head coach replied (h/t Football.London):

"When I talk about the future, it's about the players in the [sic.] squad. He's a Manchester United player now. I don't know what happened in the past, we need to be focused on our players and move and try to build a nice story."

Mount, 24, is expected to be a vital first-team member under Erik ten Hag and has signed a five-year contract. The player himself revealed recently that he was told he wasn't in the club's plans from next season onwards.

Pochettino, meanwhile, has replenished his attack with the signings of Nicolas Jackson and Christopher Nkunku. It has been a summer of change at Chelsea, where notable first-team stars have departed in quick succession.

Kai Havertz, who joined Arsenal for a reported fee of £65 million, was another important player who joined Chelsea's direct Premier League rivals.

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Pundit urges Manchester United icon David de Gea to consider reunion with ex-Chelsea manager

Former Liverpool attacker Stan Collymore has urged David de Gea to reunite with Jose Mourinho at AS Roma.

The 32-year-old's contract expired last month and there is still no news of a potential extension. He played under Mourinho at Manchester United from 2016 to the Portuguese head coach's sacking in December 2018.

Collymore told CaughtOffside:

"I am sure he’ll have offers from the uber-wealthy Saudi clubs, but he’s good enough to stay in Europe and I think a potential reunion with Jose Mourinho at Roma would make a lot of sense – for everyone involved."

Manchester United have turned on the afterburners in their pursuit of Inter Milan star Andre Onana. There is a belief among the decision-makers at Old Trafford that an agreement could be reached with I Nerazzurri over a €55 million fee.

If that happens, De Gea's days as Manchester United's No. 1 would be over. He joined the Red Devils from Atletico Madrid 12 years ago and has since kept 190 clean sheets in 545 appearances.

Mourinho, who managed Chelsea across two spells, has Rui Patricio (35) and the highly-rated Mile Svilar (23) as his first-team options between the sticks.