Glen Johnson has urged Liverpool to prioritise a move for Mason Mount over Alexis Mac Allister in the summer. The Chelsea midfielder faces an increasingly uncertain future at Stamford Bridge with his contract expiring at the end of next season.
football.london understands that the negotiations with the 24-year-old over a new deal have proven difficult thus far, with the proposed length of contract and wage packet proving to be an issue. Mount is said to be far from one of the top earners despite having chalked up nearly 200 appearances for the club.
If an agreement cannot be reached then the England international will be become a free agent in June 2024 and, until then, be available for a cut-price fee. It's believed that Liverpool are long admirers of Mount but, with Jurgen Klopp eager to overhaul his ageing midfield, Mac Allister has also worked his way onto the German's shortlist.
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With the Reds expected to fork out a hefty fee for Mount and Mac Allister, Johnson has suggested that the Merseyside club prioritise the former of the two. Speaking to Betfred, the former Chelsea defender said: "Even though it sounds silly to say, nowadays, £70million for a good player isn’t that expensive, is it.
"Alexis is certainly a good player but if you have to spend £70million, then I’d rather that money was spent on Mason Mount. Mason would have suited the team better, he would have got into the starting eleven.
"I don’t believe that Alexis can instantly command a starting berth in Liverpool’s team. He would certainly be a good squad player, but I’d have preferred if they signed Mason Mount."
With Mount yet to commit his long-term future to Chelsea, Lampard has revealed his stance on the situation. Speaking ahead of the Blues' clash against Brentford last month, the 44-year-old said: "At this point it’s not my opinion that will be the resolution.
"It will be the opinion of the club and the opinion of Mason, so that’s between them. I think my opinion’s pretty clear, I don’t need to spell it out what I think of Mason as a player, but it’s not my one to get into, that’s between them."
Then, when quizzed on Mount's uninspired form, Lampard added: "I think form for a young player, people can analyse and question form, but you can very quickly forget the consistency that Mason’s shown in the period since he’d broken through.
"I’ve been a big part of that, in the beginning and he carried on after I left, for his country as well. Then you forget how young he is because he’s so mature as a player that all his managers have trusted him so much.
"So I think if there was a drop in form, it’s more than understandable and I think every player has it, especially in the developing years. But there’s no doubt Mason is a top-class player and what he brings the team in and out of possession."
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