Chelsea’s Potential Transfer Move Could Unlock a Golden Opportunity for Liverpool’s Success
The Blues will reportedly move Mason Mount this summer if he does not agree to a new contract.
The England international’s current contract expires in 2024, and he has turned down several offers to yet. According to the Athletic, talks have been put on hold until the summer, and while they would still like to extend his contract, if no agreement is reached, they will attempt to trade the 24-year-old.
Yet, FourFourTwo would go even further, stating that Mount might be available for a bargain £40 million as he enters the final year of his deal.
In reality, even given his contract status, such a compensation seems a little too low. After all, the midfielder’s best years are yet ahead of him because he is a home-grown player. While the idea of Mount departing Stamford Bridge would have been laughed at a few months ago, it appears that even in the midst of such an impasse, a Chelsea exodus is becoming more likely.
Liverpool has been one of the clubs most heavily associated with the 24-year-old. With their need for a midfield renovation as well as to boost their indigenous quota, such linkages would make sense, especially given Mount is a quality alternative who could be available at a low cost.
And, as opportunists in the transfer market, the Reds have been known to make similar moves in the past.
In 2017, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was entering the final year of his contract with Arsenal when Liverpool made a move for him on transfer deadline day. After making it apparent that he will not be extending his contract at the Emirates, he turned down a transfer to Chelsea before joining the Reds for an initial fee of £35 million.
Meanwhile, Liverpool would sign Thiago Alcantara from Bayern Munich three years later. He is in the final year of his contract with the Bundesliga giants and is expected to join the Reds for an initial fee of £20 million in September 2020, according to reports.
It would have been surprising to see either player leave Arsenal or Bayern Munich in the middle of their contracts. While both fees were substantial for players who would have been free agents a year later, the Reds leaped at the chance to sign them at bargain prices.
Mount isn’t the only midfielder Liverpool has been connected with as they plan their summer rebuild in 2023, with Jude Bellingham reportedly being their top target. With Naby Keita, James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, and a Juventus loanee all out of contract at the end of the season, it’s evident the Reds will be looking for more than one new midfielder.
And, with Bellingham almost guaranteed to cost a club-record sum if Liverpool were to buy him, such an arrival could be beautifully complemented by Mount if Chelsea do indeed wish to cash in rather than risk losing him for nothing.
