Though it isn’t a foregone conclusion that Mason Mount will leave Chelsea this summer, the lack of movement in contract negotiations would suggest the Englishman will move on, and it seems the Blues are wasting no time identifying targets, one of which might come as a surprise.
Depending on your point of view, Graham Potter’s job has either been made easier or much harder with such an influx of new talent.
The likes of Enzo Fernandez, Joao Felix et al all need to be integrated by the coach, and inevitably that will mean that some players that were guaranteed starters in the past will now have to fight hard for their place week in and week out.
Some, no matter how much they try, will find themselves sidelined. Such is the nature of being at a progressive club.
Mount’s form has fallen off a cliff this season with only one goals scored since mid-October, per WhoScored. That probably goes some way to explaining why he’s only played 90 minutes on six separate occasions since mid-September.
That clearly isn’t good enough for a current England international, and has to be the reason why the Blues appear to be making alternative plans.
According to ESPN, quoting sources, former Man United and current Fulham star, Andreas Pereira, is being looked at as a potential replacement for Mount.
At between £25m-£35m (per ESPN) he’d represent a bargain in today’s market, but it’s negligible whether one good season at Craven Cottage would see him as a mainstay of the midfield at Fulham’s west London rivals.