Mason Mount has quit Twitter after telling his followers that "the platform is changing."
The Chelsea midfielder, long touted as one of England's brightest prospects, went to the World Cup with his country last October but has struggled to make impact at club level this season. Amid the managerial sackings of Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter, he's scored just three times and failed to hold down a regular place in the first XI.
His form has led to speculation that Mount, 24, will depart Stamford Bridge in the summer - and has been linked with Liverpool. Indeed, pundit Danny Murphy has urged his former club to make a move in a bid to solve their own midfield issues.
Regardless, criticism of his displays have now seemingly led to Mount opting to delete the social media platform, where he has built a following of 1.8 million people. But after not posting since March 14, on Thursday he broke his silence to explain his reasoning.
"Over the years I’ve thoroughly enjoyed connecting with you all on Twitter," he told fans. "Sadly, the platform is changing so I have decided to delete my account. You all can still connect with me on my other social media platforms here: http://masonmount.Komi.io Take care, Mason."
Tellingly, Mount limited who could reply to the tweet. But a number of people shared the post with sympathetic comments. "It's sad and a shame he feels he has to delete his account, but if he feels it's best for him, then we have to support this. Good luck, Mason," said @TheBlueDodger.
@celery_brigade added: "Really hope this isn’t because of the scandalous abuse he’s received from so called ‘Chelsea fans’. MDLpirate_king warned: "Allowing Mason Mount to leave Chelsea will be a huge mistake."
Mount has come through the youth ranks at Chelsea and signed his first professional contract in 2017, spending the next two years loaned out to Vitesse and then Derby County. But after returning he played a pivotal role in their 2020/21 Champions League success under Tuchel, also capturing the European Super Cup and World Club Championship the following season.
However, he was an unused substitute as Chelsea failed to overhaul a 2-0 deficit in their second leg clash with Real Madrid on Tuesday. Two goals from Rodrygo ensured a harrowing aggregate loss for Frank Lampard's side, effectively ending their season.
