Mason Mount could be on his way to Manchester United this summer after reportedly agreeing personal terms with the Red Devils.
Mount, 24, looks destined to leave Chelsea after rejecting the offer of a new contract at Stamford Bridge.
Negotiations remain ongoing over a new deal but with the England international entering the final 12 months of his current contract, Chelsea could be forced to sell this summer.
Liverpool have also been strongly linked with Mount but are set to lose out on the midfielder, with United now in pole position for his signature.
With a move to Old Trafford on the cards, here's four reasons why Mount is set to pick United over Liverpool.
Champions League football
Let's start with the obvious. Manchester United will play in the Champions League next season unlike Liverpool.
Mount has already won European football's top competition with Chelsea and is unlikely to want to drop down into the Europa League next season.
It's a problem Liverpool will face throughout the summer when trying to convince players to move to Anfield. Without the draw of the Champions League, negotiations become a lot tougher for the Reds.
Wages
Mount has so far refused to sign a new contract at Chelsea after failing to agree to the terms offered by the west London club
The midfielder reportedly wants to be paid a salary similar to his England teammates and would expect to become one of Liverpool or Manchester United's highest-paid players if he moved this summer.
While both clubs will be prepared to offer him big wages, United are likely to be able to outspend Liverpool – with the Old Trafford club typically paying their players more.
Cristiano Ronaldo factor
Mount has previously spoken of 'falling in love' with Cristiano Ronaldo while watching him play at Old Trafford as a youngster.
I think everyone has seen the video of when I was younger basing my free-kick off him [Ronaldo]. I always watched him very closely when he was at United as a young kid. I loved the way he played, his free-kicks," Mount told Amazon Prime last year.
"I'm a massive Pompey fan, so I went to the game when they played at Old Trafford and he scored that free-kick against David James.
"I was actually at the game, in the corner, so I saw it first-hand and I think after that I kind of fell in love with the technique and what he'd done, and him as a player."
The opportunity to follow in Ronaldo's footsteps and play for United could be too tempting for Mount to turn down.
Reunion with Rice?
Mount's friendship with former Chelsea academy teammate Declan Rice is well known and the two England internationals would no doubt relish the chance to play alongside each other in club football at some point in their professional careers.
While Arsenal are strong favourites to sign Rice from West Ham this summer, United are also said to be in the mix and could step up their interest if they are unable to sign a big-money striker - their main priority in the transfer market.
Should either Mount or Rice join United, it could help convince the other to make the move up north this summer.
