Mount to Liverpool: A perfect transfer opportunity not to be missed with Chelsea ‘resigned’ to exit

Lewis Oldham
Liverpool should sign Mount

Chelsea are reportedly ‘resigned’ to Mason Mount leaving the club. He’s a player Liverpool should snap up in a heartbeat during this summer’s rebuild.

 

‘No breakthrough on Mason Mount contract talks with #Chelsea, who will have decision to make in summer if no agreement. Some at club are resigned to him not wanting to sign up to the project going forward.’

That was the message of the Daily Telegraph’s Mike McGrath last week about Mount, who could well have a seismic decision to make at the end of this season.

Given Chelsea’s rule-bending £600m+ spend on signings this campaign, it is inevitable that in the near future something will have to give and a few of their long-term assets will have to move on.

Conor Gallagher and Ruben Loftus-Cheek are unsurprising names being linked elsewhere, but Mount is another player whose future may lie with a Premier League rival or further afield.

Frank Lampard’s love child has been mocked in the past for being the club legend’s favourite at Derby County and Chelsea.

Claims that he was receiving preferential treatment from Lampard were soon quashed as Mount more than justified his place in the team under Thomas Tuchel and now with Graham Potter at the helm, not to mention at international level.

The Englishman has played an obscene amount of football in recent seasons. His ability as a team player has made him indispensable under various regimes at Stamford Bridge.

But with much of Chelsea’s squad being brushed aside for quite a few expensive new toys, Mount is right to question whether he would be wise to commit to his boyhood club with a new long-term contract (typically five years, but it could be double that given their recent track record).

Aged 24, Mount has much he can still achieve if he can avoid serious injuries and he will likely not reach his peak for another four or five years.

Liverpool need to be doing all they can behind the scenes to get Mount signed. Knowing how they can operate in the shadows, they may well already be doing that.

Jurgen Klopp’s side have underachieved this season and they have been poor more often than not. But injuries to key players and burnout after an exhausting push for the quadruple in 2021/22 have hamstrung them.

The Reds did return to winning ways on Monday night against a sub-par Everton side and while they may be on for a strong end to the season with players returning to full fitness, this does not mean that a summer rebuild is no longer required.

Liverpool’s squad has been allowed to stagnate – especially in midfield. Klopp has perhaps impacted this given the loyalty he has towards his star men, while a lack of significant funding has also been a detrimental factor.

A refresh is required and the club’s hands may be forced somewhat with Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and James Milner all out of contract in June.

Borussia Dortmund’s Jude Bellingham is the dream signing for everyone associated with Liverpool. Conflicting reports have emerged regarding the teenager’s transfer preference. If they do get him, it would be a massive shot in the arm; but they cannot stop there.

Liverpool have been linked with Mount in recent months and news that he is considering his future at Stamford Bridge must be music to their ears.

With him in the final year of his contract, a bid anywhere between £30-50m would be enough to get Mount and considering his potential longevity, that would certainly be a worthwhile investment.

Mount has proven himself to be a manager’s dream and you imagine that the Englishman alongside Klopp is a match made in heaven.

The England international would fit in seamlessly as part of Liverpool’s preferred three-man set-up in the middle of the park and would offer renewed energy in midfield that has been missing with the club’s withered current crop.

A la Georginio Wijnaldum, Mount would likely capture the heart of Klopp, and in turn the Liverpool faithful.

The prospect of leaving Chelsea is a huge decision for Mount. Their strategy for the future is high risk and could foreseeably go awry if players do not progress to the level the club project them to.

Yet even if it works out well, Mount’s importance could wane as Chelsea’s younger assets come to the fore. While at Liverpool, he will be part of a cohesive unit and could well play alongside one of the world’s best young players in Bellingham.

A midfield three of Stefan Bajcetic, Bellingham and Mount is a tantalising prospect. It has the potential to be transformative and it would carry Liverpool for a long time during the next phase of Klopp’s tenure, which will be kickstarted during a vital few months before the 2023/24 season.