Chelsea need to make a decision over midfielder Mason Mount's future quickly, according to an update from journalist Fabrizio Romano.
Is Mount leaving Chelsea?
The Englishman is one of the most talked-about players in the country at the moment, in terms of where he will be plying his trade next season. He is out of contract at Stamford Bridge next year, and as of now, there is no sign of him agreeing an extension at the club.
For that reason, Mount has been linked with numerous other teams ahead of the summer transfer window, with Liverpool arguably emerging as the front-runners to snap him up. The Reds are desperate for midfield reinforcements and see him as a strong option to bring in, but Arsenal are also believed to be in the running.
Chelsea will surely know that they will either have to sell the £80,000-a-week midfielder this summer and come to an agreement over a new deal, rather than risk losing him on a free transfer next year.
Where will Mount be in 2024?
Speaking to Give Me Sport, Romano said that the Blues simply must act quickly now, making sure they don't get themselves into a sticky situation further down the line:
"I think they have to make a decision very soon because they can't be there with the risk of a player out of contract in the summer of 2024 and to lose him for free. So, this is the first point."
Romano is spot on in his assessment, with the Mount saga one that can't afford to rumble on for too long, in terms of him leaving for free eventually. Ideally, he would stay put at Chelsea this summer, considering Kylian Mbappe has hailed him as a "superb" player, but an extension still doesn't look on the cards.
The hope is that incoming Blues manager Mauricio Pochettino manages to persuade the England international to remain in west London, selling his ideas to him and making sure he is given the contract that his talent deserves, but the lure of a move to Liverpool or Arsenal could appeal to the player more.
The worst-case scenario is that Mount leaves this summer and Chelsea get good money for him, at which point they need to accept that they have lost a big talent with a bright future ahead of him, but use the funds wisely to bring in a tailor-made replacement.
