What’s gone wrong as Mason Mount’s Chelsea contract talks on hold? Could there possibly be a problem due to the Blues’ poor form and short-term Premier League prospects? The Pride of London offer opinion.
I joined PoL at a particularly decisive time for the west London club. It was April of this year and the sale of CFC had yet to go through. Fans and writers alike went from the very successful and straightforward Roman Abramovich era, to the unknown of Todd Boehly and his colleagues.
Many issues had to be resolved. But I insisted straight away in my articles that extending Reece James’s and Mount’s contracts were respectively paramount. Although, because neither of the Chelsea stars’ deals were immediately expiring, the board decided that negotiations could be postponed or even sidetracked.
However, James made an agreement with the new administration at the beginning of December, right as the summer 2022 transfer window closed. Leaving only his teammate left to sign.
Basically, Mount has been in discussions over his Blues future for some time, according to mainstream reports. Though a deal is yet to reached between the England midfielder and his boyhood club. There have also been rumours stating the Chelsea Academy graduate was reluctant to sign or that his head may have been turned.
Meanwhile trustworthy outlet The Athletic claim there has now been a “breakthrough” with respect to the 23-year-old’s stay in the capital. In addition to that, the piece suggests that Mount’s talks were only put on hold due to his Three Lions participation.
On the contrary, Evening Standard declared on Wednesday that ‘an agreement is not close’. And that is the reason, the Standard say, why the renewal is postponed until after the international tournament. Irrespective of any financial issues or that the side isn’t performing as well as in other seasons, Mount’s heart seems to belong to Chels’.
Boehly is said to be leading talks between the footballer and his representatives; the chairman is a known admirer of Mount and believes the player is relatively underpaid. With the No.19 so effective for CFC in his time on Fulham Road, a similar outcome to the James scenario feels likely. Time is not of the essence in this case, due to a 2024 expiry date.