Manchester United have been encouraged to consider signing Mason Mount if they fail to win the race for Jude Bellingham. The Chelsea star faces an increasingly uncertain future at Stamford Bridge having recently entered the final 18 months of his contract.
With Mount yet to commit his long-term future to the Blues, football.london understands that negotiations have proven difficult - so much so that he's reportedly appointed a new agent to help resolve the ongoing saga. The 24-year-old is far from one of the leading earners at Chelsea despite having nearly 200 Premier League appearances under his belt and numerous caps for England.
If he and the club cannot reach an agreement over a new deal then Mount will leave the west London outfit for free in June 2024. In the meantime, the midfielder will likely be available for a cut-price fee and the Red Devils have been steered in his direction.
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In an interview with Betfred, Dimitar Berbatov admitted that he would be open to the idea of United bringing Mount to Old Trafford if they can't get Bellingham. The former Premier League striker said: "He’s a talent and I like to see young players making the next step and the next challenge of moving to a bigger club.
"He’s at a big club already, of course, but let’s say if Manchester United can’t sign Jude Bellingham, then why shouldn’t they sign Mason Mount? He has the talent and he has proven quality.
"At the end of the day, when you sign new players, you need to ask yourself whether you need them, where are they going to play and who’s not going to play as a result of a new player coming in. The manager needs to have the answers for these questions."
Berbatov then warned Chelsea of the consequences if they choose to keep Mount if he doesn't sign an extension. He added: "Using Tottenham as an example, a few weeks ago Richarlison was voicing his displeasure at not playing but when you have Harry Kane and Son Heung-min, then it’s going to be difficult to guarantee him the level of game time he wants.
"You need to know whether you’re going to get game time when you’re moving to a club and the manager needs to know whether there’s space to accommodate them in the side. There are times where clubs can promise a player game time but they can’t keep that promise and the players complain.
"The manager and the club have to make the right choices for what they need and not just buy for the sake of buying due to the name of the player. You need to know whether you actually need the player, otherwise it’s going to be a problem for your club."
Berbatov's comments have come amid the international break, with England looking to kickstart their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign on the right foot. Mount was initially called up to the Three Lions squad but he was later sent home due to injury.
After England's win over Italy, Declan Rice - a United target ahead of the summer - comforted his childhood friend on social media. Under his Instagram post which earmarks the victory, the West Ham captain replied to Mount: "Missing ya *red heart emoji*."
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