Graham Potter has delivered a message to the Chelsea leadership about Mason Mount’s future after discussions over a new contract fell down.
Mason Mount could be set to leave Chelsea after talks broke down over a new deal (Picture: Getty)
Mount is increasingly likely to leave the Blues this summer after talks between his representatives and the west London club hit a wall over a contract extension.
The England international has 18 months to run on his deal at Stamford Bridge and he’s made it clear that his preference is to remain at the club.
The academy graduate earns around £80,000-a-week and his representatives have been ambitiously pushing to triple his salary to wages of around £240,000-a-week to reflect his status as a first-team star.
However, after splurging close to £600m since Todd Boehly’s takeover last summer, Chelsea are walking a Financial Fair Play tightrope.
One way around FFP – which they have been doing with some of their new recruits – is to hand players lengthy deals as a way to amortise the cost over a longer period, so they are paying less per year of the contract.
Chelsea want to hand Mount a seven-year deal that would keep him at the club until 2030 but the terms are nowhere close to what he is demanding.
Graham Potter on Mason Mount and his contract expiring in 2024: “It's always complicated [to comment on this]. It's best I leave it with Mason and the club” 🚨🔵 #CFC
“For sure Mount has been fantastic to work with, important player. I hope it gets resolved quickly”. pic.twitter.com/PnknX6GHpn
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) February 17, 2023
Potter has now urged the club to resolve Mount’s future at Stamford Bridge and admits he is hoping for a quick resolution regarding the 24-year-old.
‘I think it’s always complicated,’ Potter said during his press conference on Friday.
‘There is always negotiations. It’s best I leave it for Mason and the club. That’s the best way for that to be dealt with, as far as I’m concerned.
‘He’s been fantastic to work with and he is an important player for us. I hope it gets resolved quickly.’
Manchester United are keeping tabs on Mount’s future at Chelsea, according to reports, while Liverpool and Manchester City have also been linked.
Mount has registered 33 goals and 37 assists across 190 games for the Blues since making his debut and helped the club win the 2020-21 Champions League.
✅ Ben Chillwell
✅ Raheem SterlingGraham Potter says the duo have a good chance of making the Chelsea squad against Southampton. 💪 pic.twitter.com/AeRUdwMXDJ
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) February 17, 2023
Chelsea, meanwhile, host 20th-placed Southampton on Saturday as they look to return to winning ways following their 1-0 Champions League defeat to Borussia Dortmund in their last-16 first-leg clash on Wednesday.
The Blues have been struggling in the Premier League and are currently 10th in the table, 10 points behind the top four.
🗣️ “I didn’t hear any of that.”
Graham Potter says he didn’t hear any boos by Chelsea fans towards Marc Cucurella in Dortmund. He also confirms that the player had his house broken into shortly after joining the club. pic.twitter.com/LesCWFAJV1
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) February 17, 2023
‘We can always do more and do better,’ Potter added. ‘But at the same time, you have to look at the situation and put it in context.
‘In terms of how the group is working, it’s positive. I thought the Dortmund performance was a step forward.
‘We have a different challenge at the weekend and we have to make sure we are ready for that.’
source: metro.co.uk