Chelsea fear losing Mason Mount to Man City or Liverpool with ownership crisis stopping Blues from offering him new deal

CHELSEA fear Mason Mount could be lured away by Liverpool or Manchester City taking advantage of the club’s ownership crisis.

The England star, 23, is one of Blues’ lowest paid players on around £70,000 a week.

Chelsea fear Mason Mount could be lured away by Liverpool or Manchester City

Mount has just two years left on his deal but sanctions are preventing the club from offering him a new contract.

And rivals Liverpool and City are watching closely as concerns grow at Chelsea that Mount could be tempted away by a more lucrative contract.

Kop boss Jurgen Klopp has publicly spoken highly of his admiration for the Three Lions midfielder.

And City’s Pep Guardiola is another major fan.

Mount’s current deal was signed back in 2019, before he had played in Blues’ first team.

Chelsea had planned to open talks over a long-term deal before former owner Roman Abramovich was hit by government sanctions over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

But, even so, it is understood Mount — who has been with Chelsea since he was six — would NOT be among the club’s top earners as his is an academy graduate rather than an expensive signing.

Neither Liverpool nor City are likely to be in a position to make an offer this summer.

But it would alter the picture completely should Mount go into the autumn without being close to a bumper new contract and they would then make a move.

The situation has not been helped by Newcastle suddenly becoming serious players in the market, with boss Eddie Howe – who tried to take Mount on loan at Bournemouth – also watching with interest.

They would be able to come up with a package the rival anything City, Liverpool or Chelsea could come up with and in a year’s time may be much closer to offering the kind of football challenge that would tempt a player of Mount’s calibre.