Chelsea might be about to hand Liverpool a transfer…

Chelsea might be about to hand Liverpool a transfer opportunity that is too good to turn down

Chelsea will reportedly sell Mason Mount this summer should he not agree a new contract with the Londoners.

The England international’s current deal expires in 2024, and he has resisted a number of offers to date. Now the Athletic report that talks have been put on hold until the summer, and while they would still like to extend his contract, they would look to sell the 24-year-old if no agreement is reached.

Meanwhile, FourFourTwo would take such speculation further by claiming that Mount could be available for a cut-price £40m as he prepares to enter the final year of his contract.

In truth, such a fee seems a little too modest even considering his contract status. The midfielder’s best years are still ahead of him, after all, while he is home-grown. But while the notion of Mount leaving Stamford Bridge would have been scoffed at a few months back, even in the face of such an impasse, it would appear a Chelsea exit is growing increasingly likely.

Liverpool have been one of the sides linked with the 24-year-old most heavily. Given their need both for a midfield revamp and to bolster their homegrown quota, such links would make sense - especially given Mount is a quality option who could be available at a cut-price fee.

And with the Reds ever the opportunists in the transfer market, they have been known to make similar swoops in the past.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was heading into the final year of his contract with Arsenal in 2017 when Liverpool moved for him on transfer deadline day. Having made it clear he wouldn’t extend his deal at the Emirates, he turned down a move to Chelsea before joining the Reds for an initial £35m.

Meanwhile, three years later, Liverpool would bring in Thiago Alcantara from Bayern Munich. Already with the final 12 months of his contract with the Bundesliga giants, he would join the Reds for an initial £20m in September 2020 after frequent speculation.

It would have perhaps been a surprise to see either player move to Liverpool mid-contract when enjoying lengthy stints with Arsenal and Bayern. But while both fees were considerable for players that would have been free agents 12 months later, the Reds jumped at the opportunity to sign both for cut-price fees.

Mount isn’t the only midfielder Liverpool have been linked with as they plot their revamp in the summer of 2023, with Jude Bellingham said to be their first-choice target. However, with Naby Keita, James Milner, Oxlade-Chamberlain, and Juventus loanee all not contracted beyond the end of the season, it’s clear the Reds will be in the market for more than one new midfielder.

And with Bellingham certain to cost a club-record fee if Liverpool were to successfully land his signature, such an arrival could be accompanied nicely by Mount if Chelsea do indeed look to cash in rather than risk losing him for nothing.

READ NEXT

Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.

Already a member? Sign in here