Mount-ing pressure: Mason rejects Chelsea's latest contract offer

FT Desk

• Updated: 23 May 2023 08:56 CDT
• 3 min read

Mason Mount is refusing to sign a new contract at Chelsea with the England midfielder's current deal expiring in 18 months.

Mount has emerged as one of Chelsea's most important players in recent seasons, but he hasn't signed a new contract since returning to Stamford Bridge from his loan at Derby County in 2019.

Accordingly, he is only on £85,000 (€98,700) per week at Chelsea - an astronomical amount in wider society but a relative pittance among his teammates - a number in keeping with his squad status at the time.

READ: Which players are Liverpool watching at the World Cup?

Chelsea bolted fellow academy graduate Reece James down to a new six-year, £250,000 (€290,200)-a-week contract in September, but their attempts to do something similar with Mount have been unsuccessful.

"Mason Mount rejected a new contract at Chelsea worth more than £200,000 [€232,200]

a week before flying out to the World Cup," report the Daily Mail.

"Mount's representatives are believed to be seeking a contract similar to Raheem Sterling, who was given a £300,000 [€348,300]-a-week deal on signing from Manchester City last summer."

READ: What Chelsea's £200m moves for Rice and Bellingham mean for Mount

Mount was one of Chelsea's star performers last season, notching 11 Premier League goals and 10 assists from midfield, but his production has slowed to two and two in each column from 14 games in the current campaign.

Mount in demand

Juventus and Liverpool have been credited with an interest in Mount, who is rated at €72 million by Football Transfers' in-house algorithm.

A transfer would set either club back significantly less if Mount continues to hold out on extending his existing deal with the Blues.

Chelsea are reportedly trying to sign Mount's England international teammates Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice from Borussia Dortmund and West Ham respectively, which would crowd Mount out of their midfield and make them more likely to cash in.