When Reece James signed his bumper new deal for Chelsea earlier this year - shortly followed by Armando Broja - the expectation was that Mason Mount and Edouard Mendy wouldn't be too far behind them.
Both James and Mount rose together through the ranks at Chelsea and came into the team for their debut season under Frank Lampard in 2019 and have been two of the most consistent players since then. Unsurprisingly, as their deals entered the final two years there was talk of a move away.
Real Madrid were reportedly keen on signing James but that has been put to bed as he committed himself to the club in the long run. Mount is now at a similar point. Negotiations have hit a standstill for now, write the Telegraph, and there is a slight feeling of urgency around getting the deal done.
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Despite critics online and a poor period of form - he has had a drop off in 2022 compared to the high levels set last season - Mount remains a vital player for Chelsea. He has made himself integral to every manager he has come across so far and Graham Potter is no different.
His struggle has coincided with the club's massive drop-off, which makes sense, and the turmoil at Chelsea isn't likely to help the negotiations. When it gets to winter he will enter the final 18 months of his deal and then there is more room for concern.
The Blues have already fallen foul of allowing players to see their contracts run down and face losing N'Golo Kante and Jorginho for free on top of Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen last summer. Mount is still a long way from that happening, but with the volume of work to be done by Todd Boehly and the new owners in the next six months, having Mount's deal in the background is just one extra thing to take into account.
The status of talks hasn't escaped former Liverpool defender Jose Enrique either. He posted an image of Mount on Instagram, writing: "You believe it will be a good addition to the squad in the summer? The price with 1 year left shouldn't be too high either.
"Mason Mount is set to enter the last 18 months of his Chelsea deal without agreeing new terms after a stalemate in contract talks over extending his time at Stamford Bridge.
"The England midfielder, 23, has been in discussions since the summer over fresh terms at the club he has spent his entire career, although there has yet to be a breakthrough."
Blues fans might not want to think about Mount moving on from the club, let alone to join a rival, but transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has debunked the story to some extent. He wrote for Caught Offside: “Despite some speculation doing the rounds, I’m told there have been talks ongoing for a long time between Mason Mount and Chelsea.
"It’s still not done but it’s under discussion, and for Chelsea it’s seen as an important priority to extend Mount’s deal. I know some fans are focusing on him during this run of poor form, but I think they should keep Mount as he’s a big player for them, and still young with the potential to improve.”
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