Reece James was among the Chelsea stars to respond to Mason Mount's goodbye message on social media ahead of his £60million transfer to Manchester United. Ben Chilwell, Marc Cucurella, Thiago Silva and former Blues forward Kai Havertz also commented on Mount's post in which he confirmed his decision to leave Stamford Bridge.
The England international had just 12 months left on his contract heading into next season and is expected to be confirmed as a United player in the coming days. Mount completed a medical earlier this week after Chelsea accepted a £55million plus £5million add-ons proposal from Erik ten Hag's side.
Liverpool and Arsenal were among the clubs interested in signing the 24-year-old but his preference was to make a move to Old Trafford. A source told football.london that just before the FIFA World Cup that took place last year, Mount was optimistic an agreement over a new contract at Chelsea could be reached.
There was an understanding to see eye-to-eye on an agreement with Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali, where imaging rights - which have proved to be a big obstacle in negotiations - were agreed on. Mount and his entourage thought they were close to an agreement and extending the deal, but when he arrived back from the World Cup, the offer was no longer on the table.
Mauricio Pochettino had hoped to work with Mount after the Argentine agreed to become the club's new manager on a two-year deal. However, the England international had already made up his mind on leaving his boyhood club.
In his goodbye message to Chelsea fans on Instagram, Mount said: "Given the speculation over the last six months this may not come as a surprise to you, but it doesn't make it any easier to tell you I have made the decision to leave Chelsea. I thought you deserved more than just a written statement, so I wanted to tell you directly how grateful I have been for all of your support over the last 18 years.
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"I know some of you won't be happy with my decision but it's what is right for me at this moment in my career. I joined Chelsea when I was six-years-old and we have been through a lot together, winning the Youth Cup, my Player of the Year awards, the Super Cup, the Club World Cup and of course the unforgettable night when we won the Champions League...I wish you all the best."
James was one of the first Chelsea players to comment on the video. The England international posted three tearful emojis, whilst Thiago Silva and Ben Chilwell posted similar reactions.
Cucurella joined his teammates in responding to the video. The Spaniard commented: "We miss you *hand heart emoji*."
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