Mason Mount is currently in contract dispute with Chelsea.
His current deal ends in 2024, and Mount was reportedly hoping to treble his wages to £240,000 a week; similar to what Reece James is reportedly on.
The Englishman is not in Chelsea’s top 20 highest earners, despite being named their Player of the Year in 2020/21 and 2021/22 – the last two seasons. Mount rejected an offer of around £200,000 per week back in November.
With a bloated 33-man squad, Chelsea will need to get rid of some players in the summer. With his contract dispute, Mount could be one of those to leave. There will be no shortage of suitors, one of which is rumoured to be Arsenal.
I rate Mason Mount.
Technically sound, he has good work rate, an eye for goal and is a creator. At 24, years old, he is certainly the profile that would interest Edu.
Last season he scored 11 Premier League goals, assisting 10. This season he has struggled for form, not helped by the influx of players at Chelsea. His sides general form has suffered as well.
He has played much of his career either on the left wing of inside as an 8. That would make him an ideal long term replacement for Granit Xhaka. Whilst he is perhaps not as steely as the Swissman, he is more creative.
Mount seems to divide opinion amongst Chelsea fans. Some love him. Others hate him. The divide can almost be drawn between those fans who regularly go, and those that watch on TV.
Regardless of who you support, fans that go games week in week out will always hold a candle to players who we deem “our own”. We love seeing players we can relate to make it. Live the dream. And often put these players on a bit of a pedastol.
As a result, those fans that watch on TV, and often from hundreds of miles away, go out of the way to attack our heroes. They like to create a “them and us” and see attacking the likes of Mount, or Jack Wilshere, as a way into attacking match going fans.
This is certainly something I would like to explore in the future. Rob Holding, for example, was attacked by fans who do not go to games because we sing about him being better than Cannavaro. The same sort of fans spent a year telling us that Bukayo Saka was average and that Nicolas Pepe should be playing ahead of him.
Personally, I will always back the opinion of the fans that see a player week in week out, in the flesh. And Mount has the backing of the majority of the stamford Bridge faithful.
The contract will be a big stumbling block for Arsenal, and others that target him. And the cost of a transfer fee has to be factored in when signing him.
Can I see Arsenal dropping £240,000 a week on someone who does not walk into our first team? No. I can not even see us spending £200,000 a week on him. That will be more than Xhaka is on. Xhaka starts ahead of Mount.
If Mount wants to leave Chelsea and join another top team, he will probably have to take a wage cut. but why would he do that with one year left on his contract?
But then we have Declan Rice.
I always felt Rice would move to Chelsea to be with his best mate. Maybe if we sign Rice, Mount would be interested in moving to us?
My gut is Liverpool will have Mount as their second choice, if a deal for Jude Bellingham falls through.
There is also the strong possibility that Mount will stay at Chelsea, see out his last year, then leave on a free transfer. He will certainly get the huge money he desires then.
And in a years time, Xhaka will be 32 and his contract will be coming to an end. Mount could be the ready made replacement.
Mount this year? Maybe not. Mount next year? If Liverpool do not sign him, I would say yes!
Keenos
She Wore A Yellow Ribbon 