Chelsea boss Graham Potter has praised star midfielder Mason Mount, but has refused to be drawn on speculation surrounding his future at the club. The talk surrounding an exit for the England international has come as talks over a new contract at Stamford Bridge have stalled.
Mount has just over one-year remaining on his current deal, leading to some reports claiming a move could be on the cards in the summer to avoid losing him on a free transfer. Liverpool have been the main side linked with a switch, with Jurgen Klopp looking to reinvigorate his midfield department.
The 24-year-old has often been a mainstay in the first-team since breaking through, though recent weeks have seen his minutes limited. In a cameo against Tottenham, many had pointed out that the Cobham academy graduate appeared annoyed, with links back to the contract situation.
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Potter believes that the reaction was down to poor form for the side, telling reporters ahead of a huge clash with Leeds: "Mason, for us, has been great to work with. He has been top. He is suffering like the rest of us because we want to do better and have better results.
"In terms of the contract, that's between him and the club. I'm the head coach and my job is to work with the players and help them improve. At the moment, we're not doing that as well as we'd like. So that is the focus for me."
The head coach was pushed as to whether Mount is part of the plans for beyond the summer, but he was tight-lipped on anything beyond the upcoming matches, adding: "I'm not thinking about the summer, with the greatest respect. I'm thinking about tomorrow's match: preparing the team, helping the team, getting better results and performances, and responding to the bad moment we're in. That's the focus."
It remains to be seen whether the midfielder can push himself back into contention for a first-team place, but his longer-term future is also just as doubtful at this stage.
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