Liverpool's hopes of signing Mason Mount this summer may have just got a little bit tougher as Chelsea owner Todd Boehly looks to play hard ball.
The Reds are expected to undertake a severe re-engineering of their squad after a bitterly disappointing season that is increasingly looking like it will end without qualification for Champions League football. But the club's long-running pursuit of Jude Bellingham appears to have been called off, with Jurgen Klopp preferring to invest his transfer budget a number of players rather than just one superstar.
Chelsea midfielder Mount is believed to be one of the German's top targets but according to reports, Liverpool's decision not to go after Bellingham could now see Mount's asking price sky-rocket as the London club looks to capitalise on the extra financial resources.
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The 24-year-old is still under contract at Stamford Bridge but has rejected signing a new deal as his salary demands have not yet been met. Initial reports suggested that Mount could be captured for around £40-£50million this summer. But Sky Sports News reporter Melissa Reddy has claimed that Chelsea owner Boehly is now looking for around £70million to let go of his home-grown star.
Whether that valuation will be enough to put off Liverpool or if a bargaining figure can be reached, will be a matter for the Reds to iron out quickly, but it is believed that Klopp is keen to get transfer deals done as quickly as possible this summer, which is one of the reasons he has been reluctant to enter into a drawn-out attempt to land Bellingham, while risking missing out on other players.
The concern for Liverpool however, is that other clubs will follow Chelsea's lead and look to add-on a 'Bellingham tax' to any of their own players who the Reds might want to bring to Anfield before the start of next season.
Mount, however, is believed to be keen on making the move the Merseyside, despite joining Chelsea at the age of nine. The England international could be the first jigsaw piece in a new-look midfield next season, with Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and James Milner all out of contract in June.
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