It was a departure that was always going to be a little sore, but Chelsea owner, Todd Boehly, could’ve been a little more gracious to Mason Mount than giving him a 35-word send off.
Mount has already been unveiled as a new Man United player and has the unenviable ‘honour’ of wearing the famous No.7 shirt that players such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Eric Cantona, David Beckham, Bryan Robson and George Best have all worn in the past.
Perhaps the rawness of that particular sale is what prompted Boehly and his fellow directors, Behdad Eghbali and Jose E. Feliciano, to release their incredibly brief ‘tribute’ to the 24-year-old who had been at the club since the age of six, aside from two loan spells at Vitesse and Derby County.
‘We want to thank Mason for all his efforts on and off the pitch throughout his time at Chelsea. He is a consummate professional who will be remembered fondly for his time with the club,” they were quoted as saying on the official Chelsea website.
It’s so pathetic that it’s hardly worth bothering with, and if that’s the attitude the owners have towards their best players, Mount was right to get the hell out of Stamford Bridge.
Whether or not it’s believed that the player wanted to stay at the club but just wanted to be paid what he felt he was worth is rumour and conjecture.
One thing is almost certain and that is that Chelsea were a better team with Mount in it than without, and Todd Boehly could come to regret yet another of his decisions.
Mauricio Pochettino’s pain will evidently be Erik ten Hag’s gain.