Manchester United could finally meet Chelsea's valuation for Mason Mount if Sheikh Jassim buys the clubs from the Glazers. The 24-year-old midfielder has been heavily linked with an exit from Stamford Bridge recently, with his contract expiring in 12 months.
football.london understands that the Blues were once close to reaching an agreement over a new deal but, following his return from the World Cup in December, an offer was no longer on the table. Then, towards the end of January, the west Londoners reopened talks with the England international, though he didn't want to sign a one-year extension.
Since the start of the year, it's understood that Mount has not received another proposal meaning that he'll become a free agent at the end of next season. With a summer switch on the cards, football.london understands that United, Liverpool and Arsenal are all seriously interested in signing the Cobham graduate.
Erik ten Hag's side are believed to be leading the race for his signature, though there seems to be a disparity in valuations. According to the Daily Mail earlier this month, United value Mount in the region of £55million while Chelsea price him closer to £85million.
The report states that, despite a significant discrepancy, there is a willingness from both parties to work on a deal. However, as it stands, United are negotiating a deal with Chelsea under the ownership of the Glazers, who have a reputation for their reluctance to spend over the odds.
While it may seem naive, Sheikh Jassim may be more willing to respect the price tag set by the Blues than the Glazers or even Sir Jim Ratcliffe. While the Qatari banker doesn't have a publicly reported net worth, Forbes claim that his father is worth £892million` and, as a collective, the family are worth £275bn.
In the meantime, Mount appears readily available on the transfer market this summer. Last month, Frank Lampard told Sky Sports that he didn't know how the Blues planned on keeping Mount.
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The former caretaker manager said: "I think that’s a difficult situation because from working with Mason - and not just Mason, other players when I was here before - they have either gone on to be really important players for the club that have a real relationship with the fans because they really feel the club, having been in the academy since eight years of age, and some of them have gone on to other clubs and the club have done well out of that and you wish them well in their careers.
"I think with Mason particularly as an individual, I don’t know what the solution is going to be because it’s the club and Mason’s issue. I don’t know where exactly Mason is at personally, he’s got a year left on his contract.
"I know he’s held in high regard at the club and I know the club are trying to do what they can to make him stay, but I also think that Mason, I’d never want to stand here in the modern day and talk about what a player should do because they’ll see it all from their own eyes.
"I think in the old days it would be why are you leaving the club? In the modern day it’s you should move on, and we’ve got into this situation that is happening now."
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