MY ACCOUNT
Mason Mount has seen his Chelsea minutes slump this season and a recent withdrawal from the England squad sums up a wretched period for the 24-year-old.
The Blues struggled in the opening weeks of 2022-23 campaign under Thomas Tuchel and are now trying to find consistency under Graham Potter, who is still adapting to life in West London.
As the season enters its final months, Mount’s future remains unclear and the two-time Champions League winners remain at risk of missing out on a spot in Europe’s top competition next term.
We take a look at the academy graduate’s options ahead of an important summer for both player and club.
Money talks
At the end of this season, Mount will be at a crossroads.
The midfielder looks to have already made his first move by partnering with experienced agent Neil Fewings to help resolve his contract situation.
The 36-cap international has been in talks with the Blues over a potential new deal but no agreement has been reached, with reports of the playmaker wanting a substantial pay increase.
Should co-owner Todd Boehly refuse to sanction a bumper offer, then Mount would likely work with his advisers to manufacture a move away from Stamford Bridge.
His current Blues deal is set to expire in 2024, meaning a transfer is logical for all parties if a renewal becomes unrealistic.
Liverpool and Manchester United have emerged as frontrunners for his signature and are supposedly more willing to adhere to Mount’s salary demands.
Pay his worth
Arsenal legend Paul Merson has sided with Mount in his ongoing contract saga, urging Chelsea to pay the homegrown talent what he wants.
Mount is thought to currently earn around £80,000 a week, which is less than a quarter of the whopping £325k weekly wage reportedly collected by his team-mate Raheem Sterling.
And Merson has blasted Chelsea for their approach to the situation, saying: “Mount was by far Chelsea’s best player last season. He was outstanding.
“You don’t offload your best players. There are so many players that need to get shipped out of this Chelsea squad before Mount.
“The kid can play. It’s bad business by Chelsea — they should give him what he’s asking for.”
Mounting problems
Last season, Mount scored 11 times and notched a further 10 assists in the Premier League — but he has only tallied five goal contributions in 23 outings this term.
He has also seen his attempted take-ons, chances created, shots and passes attempted per game all drop compared with last season.
Mount has veered away from his familiar direct style of play and is recording more long balls, with a lower passing accuracy than he boasted under Tuchel in 2021-22.
Per 90 minutes, the Portsmouth native is averaging 0.49 shots on target compared to 1.1 in the previous campaign and 1.59 chances created, compared to 2.21 last season.
That lack of success in the final third may well by why club chiefs are stalling on handing out a new contract.
Gone to Pott
Potter himself has admitted that Mount is suffering and has refused to offer his support on the contract situation, with the English tactician preferring to leave that side of things to his superiors.
He said: “In terms of the contract, that’s between him and club. I’m the head coach and I get on with my job to work with the players and help them improve.
“At the moment, we’re not doing that as well as we like so that’s the focus for me.”
Mount has not played 90 minutes for Potter since the 1-0 win over Crystal Palace in January.
And after going eight games without a goal in the top flight, it does seem that the midfielder is uncomfortable in Potter’s new-look line-up.
Mount must decide the best course of action sooner rather than later or he risks his career heading into decline.
