Newcastle United have reportedly entered the race to sign Mason Mount, courted by Liverpool amid his Chelsea contract stalemate.
Dean Jones has told GiveMeSport that Newcastle United are one of several clubs reportedly monitoring the progress of Mason Mount’s contract talks with Chelsea. The midfielder will soon be entering the final 12 months of his contract at Stamford Bridge and is the subject of heavy interest from Liverpool.
Dean Jones told GMS, “At the moment, I’m told it’s really just a watching brief because they’re not genuinely expecting Mason Mount to become available on the market. I think it would be a big surprise if he genuinely was for sale. But if he is, then Newcastle absolutely want to be in that conversation.”
Having spent time on loan at Derby County in the Championship and Dutch club Vitesse Arnhem, Mount signed a five-year deal in the summer of 2019. A little over a month later, Mount made his competitive Chelsea debut in a 4-0 loss against Manchester United.
Since then, he has not looked back and has gone on to become an integral figure at Stamford Bridge. Mount has been the standout for his boyhood club in recent seasons and has become a mainstay in Gareth Southgate’s England squad as well.
To date, the attacking midfielder has netted 33 times and provided 37 assists in 191 appearances in all competitions for the Blues. However, his long-term future with Chelsea hangs in the balance, as he remains one of the lowest-paid players in the squad at £80,000 per week.
The midfielder’s contract is up at the end of next season. And while Todd Boehly and the rest of the Blues bosses are desperate to tie Mount down to a new deal as soon as possible, the 24-year-old midfielder wants a huge salary raise, and contract talks have reached a stalemate.
Chelsea spent more than £600 million on new signings during the 2022/23 season, resulting in a bloated squad. And Mount could be one of those facing the chop as they balance their books. Selling an academy product is deemed to be a 100% profit in the eyes of FFP, a prospect that Chelsea could be exploring to justify their heavy spending in recent transfer windows.
If that were to be the case, Mount certainly would not have a shortage of suitors. Recent reports have claimed that Liverpool are making a strong case to sign Mount in what has the potential to become a highly-contested transfer saga this summer. And Newcastle United have now joined the race if the midfielder makes the decision to leave Chelsea.
Mount would be the perfect addition to a Newcastle United midfield left light following the departure of Jonjo Shelvey this past January. The Chelsea midfielder is versatile, energetic, and has an eye for goal, which would suit Eddie Howe’s style at St. James’ Park.
That said, his wage demands might put him out of reach for the Magpies, who have also been strongly linked with a more realistic summer pursuit of James Maddison.
As for Liverpool, Jurgen Klopp is needing to sign midfielders in the summer. And Mount has been on the radar of the Reds boss recently. While Mount’s progress has stagnated this season at Chelsea, many would agree that the midfielder could excel further under Klopp.
