Liverpool have a genuine interest in the potential transfer of Chelsea attacking midfielder Mason Mount, and sense they could get a bargain.
The England international has not been at his best this season, but remains a highly regarded talent, with Liverpool clearly keen to capitalise on the fact that his contract talks with Chelsea have stalled, according to Ben Jacobs in his exclusive CaughtOffside column.
Mount is approaching the final year of his deal with Chelsea, but it seems not much progress is being made on getting him to commit his future to the Blues, so it could be that he’ll be heading to one of their rivals on the cheap.
Liverpool could do with one or two signings in that area of the pitch, with an in-form Mount sure to be a fine fit in Jurgen Klopp’s side.
The interest from LFC is genuine, according to Jacobs, but Chelsea will try to re-open talks with the 24-year-old at the end of the season.
“Liverpool’s interest in Mason Mount is genuine and the Chelsea midfielder will be able to use this to his advantage in contract talks. But even before Chelsea’s new owners officially came in, renewing Mount’s contract was a high priority and this remains the case,” Jacobs said.
“Talks have stalled to some extent, although Chelsea were always focused on a busy January window and prioritising Mount at the same time wouldn’t have necessarily changed much because the sides are quite far apart on terms.
“Mount’s contract expires in summer 2024 and Liverpool know they stand a chance of getting a bargain.”
He added: “Chelsea still really want to keep Mount, even though he hasn’t hit the productivity levels of last season when he scored 11 Premier League goals.
“Chelsea are now expected to pick up talks again at the end of the season and will be encouraged by the fact Mount has previously indicated he wants to extend his stay at the club where he’s been since he was six.
“A renewal is not guaranteed or close but the desire to find an agreement (and Chelsea’s appreciation for Mount) hasn’t changed.
“What has, however, is perhaps Mount’s ‘automatic’ place in the team right now. It’s a shame some fans have turned on and almost scapegoated Mount for Chelsea’s slump.
“I think it’s tough for a longer-standing player to adapt to so many new faces, too, and I still expect Mount to rediscover his form in the second half of the season.
“But it can’t be easy going from being universally lauded to being singled out, sometimes before he’s even kicked a ball. Mount is a fantastic player and personality and Chelsea know what he’s capable of regardless of his lull in form.”