The Telegraph has revealed that Chelsea have hit a stalemate with Mason Mount over his contract renewal.
Talks have been on ongoing with Mount over a new contract but no agreement has been reached so far. The Englishman is in the final 18 months of his deal and the Blues have been hoping to tie his long-term future to the club.
The thinktank at Stamford Bridge is hopeful that Mount will follow suit with Reece James, who recently extended his contract with Chelsea.
Mount has been in fine form this season and has been a regular feature under new boss Graham Potter. He is also said to be in contention for a starting role for England at the World Cup later this month.
While the West London club want to keep Mount, they have a contingency plan in place in case the 23-year-old fails to renew his current deal. According to The Telegraph, Chelsea have identified Roma’s Lorenzo Pelligrini as a potential replacement for the Portsmouth-born midfielder.
Transfermarkt has valued Pelligrini at £39.5 million and he’s a key player at Roma, so it won’t be easy to lure him away from Jose Mourinho’s side if Chelsea formalise their interest.
The newspaper says Villarreal’s Yeremy Pino is also on Chelsea’s radar. Potter’s rebuild is expected to continue with the winter window looming but Chelsea would hope to resolve Mount’s future before the end of 2022.
Our View
Mount has been a crucial part of Potter’s plans so far and having spent his entire career at Chelsea, the club should do everything to keep him. This season, he has made 21 appearances and has notched up two goals and six assists.
The 23-year-old is yet to hit his peak and Chelsea are now starting to benefit from his impressive displays. It could only be a matter of time before Mount unlocks his best level under Potter and thus anything other than an extension could be viewed as an aberration.
Mount is likely to reach an agreement with the club as he is considered a key player in the project, as per the source. However, until the new deal is signed, Chelsea will need to be prepared for the worst case scenario and Pellegrini would be an excellent replacement if Mount was to leave the Londoners.
