da fezbet： Chelsea owner Todd Boehly wants to keep midfielder Mason Mount at the club beyond this season, journalist Ben Jacobs has claimed.
Could Mason leave Chelsea this summer?
da dobrowin： The future of the Blues star has been a big talking point in recent months and he is still yet to make a decision on where he will be playing his football next season. He hasn't reached an agreement over a new deal at Stamford Bridge, and with his current contract expiring next year, that is concerning.
Not only that, but Mount has been strongly linked with a move to Liverpool numerous times, with the Reds seeing him as a strong option to come in and bolster their midfield options. It feels as though any outcome is possible at this point, although the terms of any potential extension will need to be improved if Chelsea are to keep hold of the 24-year-old.
What's Boehly's stance on Mount?
Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jacobs said that Boehly has made it clear that he wants to retain Mount's services moving forward:
"I think the first thing to say is that Chelsea haven't held any new, formal talks with Mount yet. Although Todd Boehly reiterated to Mount directly and quite recently that he wants him to stay, that wasn't a formal conversation or negotiation.
"The last negotiations that have taken place between Mount and Chelsea, the parties were reasonably far apart in terms of striking a deal, so they agreed to discuss it during the summer. That's still the plan at the moment."
It is at least encouraging to hear that Boehly values Mount as a player and wants to keep him, with the Englishman registering 70 goal contributions (33 goals and 37 assists) in 195 appearances for Chelsea, as well as being hailed as "incredible" by Statman Dave earlier this season.
At 24, losing him at this point in his career would be criminal, with the midfielder capable of finding another level into his late-20s, as he matures as a footballer. It seems clear that Mount will remain stubborn when it comes to a potential new deal, however, and if he doesn't feel valued and his £80,000-a-week wages aren't increased significantly, he will have no hesitation in moving on.
The lure of Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp could also be great, given the German's standing in the game, so it is set to be a tense few months ahead, even though opinion may be split among the Blues fanbase, especially after a fairly underwhelming season by their No.19.