Mason Mount's been disrespected, Chelsea legend says

Stuart Telford

• 6 Apr 2023 20:48 BST
• 3 min read

Mason Mount has cut an increasingly dejected figure at Chelsea as his contract negotiations rumble on, and former Blues midfielder Man Petit has leapt to his defence.

It has looked increasingly likely that Mount would leave Chelsea this summer - with Liverpool first in the queue to sign him - with player and club unable to agree fresh terms on a contract that expires in June 2024.

Chelsea bolted Mount's fellow academy graduate Reece James to a new six-year contract in September, his £250,000 per week wages making him their best-paid defender of all-time - quite the compliment from a club who have had John Terry, Ashley Cole and Marcel Desailly on their books.

READ: Why Lampard's Chelsea return could be key to Mount's future

But they failed to offer Mount the same terms - despite the midfielder having been central to their Champions League triumph under Thomas Tuchel in 2021 - and shifted their focus in January, spending €330 million on new players.

The Blues now need to balance the books to satisfy Financial Fair Play regulations, but Petit, who joined Chelsea from Barcelona for €11.5m in 2001 having been a double winner with Arsenal three years earlier, thinks Mount has been disrespected.

What did Petit say?

"He's the only one who's from the academy," the Frenchman said when asked by Stadium Astro if they should cash in on Mount given the circumstances.

READ: Winners and losers of Frank Lampard returning to Chelsea

"He's very popular with the Chelsea fans. He's very unhappy about the proposition he has on the table. I think he's very disappointed with the offer he received from the club because he saw what other players, especially with the structure of the club, from the outside receive as wages and I agree with him.

Mount only has three goals and two assists from his 23 Premier League appearances this season. When pressed about the Englishman's form, Petit had a simple explanation.

"Because he's not happy with his future, but the proposal he has is on the table with Chelsea," he said. "When he looks at all the money they've spent for the last six months on other players he's thinking 'I'm from the academy, I've been playing well, I'm very popular with the Chelsea fans and you don't recognise me?!'"