Frank Lampard remains in the dark over Mason Mount's future, but Liverpool are by no means closing in on the midfielder.
Chelsea's academy graduate looks set to miss the remainder of the season through injury, meaning the least successful campaign of his career will end prematurely. Mount, like his Blues side, has struggled to hit the heights expected with the 24-year-old having to deal with noise surrounding his future for months.
The Englishman's deal at Stamford Bridge is winding down and despite discussions there appears to have been little progress. It leaves him firmly in the lurch with Chelsea set for a reshuffle this summer. Lampard is the fourth different manager to pick a team in west London this term amid continued change.
It was the Blues legend who gave Mount his debut, having also had him on loan at Derby. He's made forward strides since then and is now being linked with rivals Liverpool, who are expected to target midfield recruits this summer.
Lampard regrets that he and the player couldn't rekindle their relationship due to injury, but wouldn't be able to have any influence over his future. He was asked about whether Mount had played his last game for Chelsea: “I don’t know the answer to that, it’s a conversation between Mason and the club, so I don’t know. It’s not final at this point and we’ll have to see because those conversations are ongoing.
"It’s a shame for me personally because I think everyone knows how I feel about working with Mason and I like to think he feels the same about me, and we could have done with him in the games we’ve played already this season. But the bigger picture is something that’s going to become clearer in the next weeks and months, and that will be the club and Mason together having conversations.”
Mount could yet back Chelsea into a corner by shunning any deal, which has led co-owner Todd Boehly to personally meet the midfielder in an effort to underline his value and importance to the club. Another dynamic in the saga is the seemingly imminent arrival of Mauricio Pochettino.
It is the former Tottenham boss who could scupper Liverpool's hopes of signing Mount. Jurgen Klopp has made no secret of his need to bolster his ranks with the Reds' performances this term highlighting their flaws in the middle of the park and adding Mount would be three-pronged.
The midfielder would add plenty of quality, help the homegrown quota and also bring down the average age, which has been aired as a concern as Liverpool struggle to produce the intensity of years gone by.
Pochettino though will also be aware of these advantages and is thought to be a fan of the Chelsea man. The Argentine has thrived when coaching players, particularly English ones, and may relish the opportunity to get stuck into several members of the squad at Stamford Bridge.
A fresh injection of energy could also convince Mount to pen a new deal. Pochettino will be handed a lavishly-assembled squad in desperate need of direction and a reshuffle - meaning several names could be moved on.
Some of those include Mateo Kovacic, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Conor Gallagher. That would free up cash in the wage bill, which may prove to Mount's advantage when it comes to negotiations. The player is believed to want to treble his £80,000-a-week wages, which would put him in line with the other senior players in the squad.
