Chelsea face losing key player with Liverpool ready to swoop

Chelsea kept alive their very slim chance of finishing in the Premier League’s top four with victory over Leicester City on Saturday. 

The Blues secured a 3-1 victory over The Foxes courtesy of goals from Ben Chilwell, Kai Havertz and Mateo Kovacic, with the result marking the end of a successful week for manager Graham Potter.

The ex-Brighton and Hove Albion boss has struggled since taking charge at Stamford Bridge but victories over Leeds United, Borussia Dortmund and Leicester in the space of eight days will undoubtedly have eased the pressure on the Englishman.

Despite his side’s recent run of good form, it appears that Potter is facing losing one of his key players this summer.

According to Football Insider, talks between the London side and midfielder Mason Mount over a contract extension have collapsed.

The report claims that the two parties are currently in deadlock and that there is a real possibility that the midfielder could leave Stamford Bridge this summer.

Chelsea will reportedly sell Mount if an agreement isn’t in place by the end of the season, and Liverpool are said to be leading the race to sign the England international at present.

Mount looks increasingly likely to leave Chelsea this summer

Mount, 24, has been a regular for The Blues since making his senior debut in 2019, but his current deal is due to expire in the summer of 2024 and and the player has so far refused to sign a new deal.

It is claimed that the player’s salary is proving to be a key obstacle in the talks, with the club looking to reduce their wage bill following nine months of huge spending, totalling more than £600 million on transfer fees alone.

Mount, a product of Chelsea’s youth academy, has made more than 190 appearances for The Blues, scoring 33 goals and providing 37 assists across all competitions.

The midfielder has become a fans’ favourite at Stamford Bridge, playing a key role as Chelsea lifted the Champions League in 2021.

The player is said to be demanding a weekly wage of around £250,000, which is reportedly what teammate Reece James currently earns.

Chelsea have so far refused to offer Mount more than £180,000-per-week, though, and that has caused the deadlock in negotiations.

With that in mind, Liverpool are ready to swoop and believe that they could agree a deal for Mount for a fee of around £50 million.