‘My feelings for Mason are clear’: Graham Potter reveals he is in talks with Mason Mount about his new Chelsea contract, amid interest from Premier League rivals Liverpool and Newcastle.
- The Chelsea manager stressed that he believes the player is ‘a fantastic person’
- Discussions over the Academy’s product contract continue as both sides seek a resolution
- Mount is one of the Chelsea players likely not to face Leicester on Saturday.
Graham Potter has shared that ‘difficult’ discussions are taking place between Mason Mount and his boyhood club, but that he is keen to keep the talented midfielder at Chelsea.
The 24-year-old joined the Stamford Bridge squad at the age of six, breaking into the first team in August 2019 and was named the club’s player of the season for the second year running in 2022.
But despite this, Mount has yet to reach an agreement to extend his contract with the Blues, which is set to expire in the summer of 2024.
At present, the academy product and the club’s hierarchy remain at a standstill as negotiations on the contract demands progress.
While the Mount manager didn’t want to share too many details about how these talks are progressing, he was quick to show appreciation for his player’s role in the team.
Graham Potter hailed his midfielder Mason Mount as a ‘fantastic person’ amid contract negotiations
Mount has had a slump in form this season, but his overall form has attracted a number of Premier League suitors should he decide to leave his boyhood club.
The contract, Potter said in his pre-match press conference ahead of Chelsea’s trip to Leicester on Saturday, is ‘between the club and Mason’.
“I’ve spoken to him several times about his situation, football and life in general,” Potter continued.
My feelings for Mason are clear. First of all, he’s a fantastic person, but sometimes these things happen.
“They’re complicated, and I’d better talk about it a bit, let them get to work deciding what’s best for both parties.”
When asked if Mount is part of his plans for the upcoming season, Potter gave an emphatic ‘yes’.
The Blues manager added: “But I’m not naive, and I know it’s an important moment for him and an important contract.”
“These things have to be right for him and his family, and it’s important that he make a decision on that basis.”
Amid the uncertainty, Mount has begun to attract interest from rival Premier League clubs, including Liverpool and Newcastle, who will be looking to bolster their attacking options in the summer transfer window.
Mount was unavailable for Chelsea’s last two games but took part in training on Thursday.
Due to the imminent expiry of Mount’s contract at the end of next season, if terms are not agreed, Chelsea will likely look to sell rather than let him go for free in 2024.
With the midfielder being a product of Chelsea’s Cobham-based academy, the player’s sale would also bolster the club’s coffers, which may be receiving future financial scrutiny due to their massive £600m spending following last year’s acquisition by Clearlake Capital of Todd Boehly. .
Mount was unavailable during Chelsea’s midweek Champions League triumph against Borussia Dortmund, which saw the club book a place in the quarter-finals, due to an abdominal problem.
There is still a question mark over Mount’s involvement in the squad to face Leicester, with Potter commenting that the player “probably needs a little more time”.