It's often said that something is only worth what someone is willing to pay. It's also true that for it to be worth it, it needs to be a value for which someone is willing to sell too. In the case of Mason Mount, it's more the value of someone that remains unknown with a not insignificant gap between the assessments of Manchester United and Chelsea.
The 24-year-old is entering the final year of his Blues contract and the Blues are said to have rejected a £55million bid from Manchester United that was billed as their final offer by many. Regardless, they have now countered with £58million with £7million in add-ons.
Is a final bid always a final bid? We'll soon find out.
football.london's sister publication the Manchester Evening News report that Manchester United are unhappy with negotiations playing out publicly, with bids rejected worth £40million, £50million and £55million. In other corners supporters have enjoyed the club standing pretty firm in their dealings.
After all, Mount is a Chelsea player until both club and player decide otherwise. Mount may want a move to the North West and away from the club, but regardless of the Blues failures to extend his deal over a number of years, the Cobham product is currently compelled to remain in west London for a further year.
However, all of that is contingent on a big if. Whether Chelsea are prepared to lose Mason Mount for free.
READ MORE: Chelsea news and transfers LIVE: 'Done deal', Moises Caicedo plan, Kai Havertz message, Mount bid
There has been the suggestion in some corners that the prospect has been used to try and leverage a move, but ever since negotiations became difficult it will have been a possibility Chelsea are well aware of. For the moment a total of £65million appears to be the figure they are willing to accept and are otherwise content to see how Mount will perform under Mauricio Pochettino, albeit only for a short term.
Could they persuade him to extend his deal? The implication for the moment is no. Yet, keeping Mount will reduce the number of players needed to be brought into the club and will allow Chelsea a narrower focus on transfer targets for the summer.
However, the Blues must be careful not to back themselves into a corner. They do not owe Manchester United anything and Mount signed a contract that commits him until 2024, even if it may not have been fit for purpose in some aspects; but the club's power in the situation also lies in a delicate balance. They saw their powers wane in their efforts with Antonio Rudiger and N'Golo Kante in recent seasons, and Mount could be more problematic than either with his intentions made clear; the Blues will have to avoid a number of pitfalls.
After a season that has been burdened by disillusioned players, Chelsea's pre-season may get underway with another. Even the most vehement professional could be impacted by the disappointment, and it could stunt the momentum that Mauricio Pochettino hopes to garner in the early days of his tenure. Something Chelsea appear to hope to facilitate.
There is also the posturing that Erik ten Hag's side could drop their efforts and turn their attention to Moises Caicedo, a player among Chelsea's priorities. The Blues have invested time into landing the player but cannot offer European football for the moment, while enduring competition from Arsenal. Unless the Red Devils are willing to act more decisively for the Ecuador international, the Blues' position is unlikely to change.
If the club's preference is to sell, however, they may not see bids from the Red Devils increase. Particularly because United's budget is constrained and they also hope to target a striker, and have other targets in the midfield area.
With pre-season approaching it's not unthinkable that the club could even put in a smaller bid if there's a sense the Blues do not want a cloud over the club for the summer and beyond. It's perhaps savvy that Chelsea now hope to meet in person to try and hash out the prospect of deal before the platform changes as the summer ensues.
Who should Chelsea keep or sell this summer? Let us know down below!
