Liverpool appear to have been handed a big boost in their reported pursuit of Mason Mount, according to one source.
The 24-year-old has been strongly linked with a move to the Reds, with Fabrizio Romano telling CaughtOffside that he’s ‘aware’ of interest from the Anfield club in the Chelsea attacking midfielder, whose current Stamford Bridge deal expires in June 2024.
As speculation continues over the possibility of a transfer, one recent report has made a significant claim which would seemingly improve our chances of signing him.
According to Football Insider, ‘Chelsea will sell Mason Mount in the summer if a new contract is not agreed by then’; and Liverpool are apparently ‘leading the race‘ for the England international, with player and club some distance apart in terms of the salary in any potential deal.
The player is seeking a pay packet similar to that of the £250,000-a-week Reece James, but the Blues are ‘reluctant’ to increase their £180,000-a-week offer, with negotiations stalling as a result.
The report continued: ‘Liverpool are keen to take him off Chelsea’s hands and believe they could strike a deal worth £50million for him after discussions via third parties. It is also understood that Mount would be keen to play for Klopp as part of what will be a rebuilt midfield at the Merseyside giants next season.’
While these are big claims from Football Insider, they do appear to be supported somewhat by Romano’s update for CaughtOffside, with the Italian stating that ‘the contract situation isn’t helping Mount right now’ and adding ‘it’s not an easy negotiation’.
An outlay of £50m would seem fairly reasonable for a Champions League-winning 24-year-old England international who’s valued at £64.9m by Football Transfers; and if Chelsea are planning to sell him in the summer if the impasse continues, that too could play into Liverpool’s hands.
The player’s apparent desire to team up with Jurgen Klopp could also help towards getting a deal done, if indeed FSG are willing to pay him the wage demands at which the Blues are seemingly baulking.
As per FBref, Mount boasts some impressive attack-minded figures for a player in his position. He ranks in the top 10% of midfielders in Europe’s five main leagues for metrics such as shots, assists, shot-creating actions, non-penalty goals and touches in the opposition’s penalty area.
There’s still time between now and the summer for him and his current club to reach an agreement, but if that doesn’t materialise, there appears to be a lot going for Liverpool to snap up a player who seems like an ideal candidate to add more impetus to our midfield.
It would also come with the not inconsiderable bonus of strengthening our squad while simultaneously weakening a direct rival.