Three of the biggest clubs in the Premier League ‘are putting plans in place to sign Mason Mount’: Reece James set to be the subject of bids
According to a report, Chelsea will have a major battle to keep outstanding midfielder Mason Mount this summer, with Reece James also poised to be sought in the transfer season.
Mount has already established himself as one of Europe’s top young midfielders, having scored 12 goals in all competitions this season for both club and country.
However, the 23-year-old has only two years left on his contract at Stamford Bridge, and with the club’s current ownership turmoil, there is danger that he will be tempted away by Europe’s best.
According to The Athletic, three of the Premier League’s major clubs are preparing bids for the England international.
The report does not name the English clubs, but it does suggest that other clubs from Europe’s top tiers are also interested, and Chelsea may have a battle to keep their star player this summer.
Mount is now one of the Blues’ lowest-paid players, earning roughly £70,000 per week, but the club’s current financial constraints, imposed on owner Roman Abramovich, preclude the west Londoners from extending him a new contract.
Even if Chelsea’s new owners are willing to offer him a large pay increase in order to encourage him to sign an extension, there are no assurances he will sign one, and elite teams are apparently ready to pounce.
Mount’s contract predicament puts the Blues in a difficult position, as the player’s negotiating strength grows as his term reaches its last two years.
Mount, on the other hand, has remained loyal to Chelsea and has been with the club since he was six years old, rising through the academy to become a first-team regular.
Meanwhile, prominent European clubs are thought to be interested in Blues right defender Reece James.
Last summer, The Athletic stated that the 22-year-old was on Manchester City’s desired list, and that Real Madrid is now interested as well.
His contract predicament, though, is not as severe as Mount’s, since the fullback’s contract is not slated to expire for another three years.
Despite his youth, James has already demonstrated that he is a great right wing-back as well as a versatile centre back and midfielder this season.
Since making his senior debut in September 2019, he has established himself as one of the top young players in European football during the last two and a half years.
The England defender, who has six goals and seven assists in 33 appearances this season, is now one of Thomas Tuchel’s first names on the squad sheet.
He last signed an extension in 2020, but his stated weekly pay of roughly £60,000 makes him, like Mount, one of the club’s lowest earners.
Blues executives risk losing James to attention from the Bernabeu and the Etihad if they fail to hold him down to longer and more lucrative terms.
Other Blues players are aware of outside interest and are exploring what moves they might be able to secure.
After finalizing terms with the German centre-back, Real Madrid are already set to sign Antonio when his contract expires in July.
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Three of the biggest clubs in the Premier League ‘are putting plans in place to sign Mason Mount’: Reece James set to be the subject of bids
