Liverpool pursue ‘bargain’ transfer despite ‘stumbling block’

According to Ben Jacobs, Liverpool feel that they ‘stand a chance’ of signing Mason Mount from rivals Chelsea during this summer’s transfer window.

Mount’s future at Chelsea is uncertain as his current contract is due to expire at the end of the 2023/24 campaign.

It has recently been reported that the Blues have halted talks with the midfielder until the summer so they can focus on the Premier League and Champions League.

Liverpool meanwhile appear ready to pounce as they are interested in recruiting at least one new midfielder during this summer’s transfer window.

Jacobs is reporting that Liverpool’s admiration of Mount is ‘genuine’ and they feel that they can sign him later this year.

‘Liverpool’s interest in Mason Mount is genuine and the Chelsea midfielder will be able to use this to his advantage in contract talks. But even before Chelsea’s new owners officially came in, renewing Mount’s contract was a high priority and this remains the case,’ Jacobs wrote for Caught Offside.

‘Talks have stalled to some extent, although Chelsea were always focused on a busy January window and prioritising Mount at the same time wouldn’t have necessarily changed much because the sides are quite far apart on terms. Mount’s contract expires in the summer of 2024 and Liverpool know they stand a chance of getting a bargain.’

Jacobs later stated that Mount’s financial demands may not be an ‘insurmountable stumbling block’ for Chelsea and their stance ‘has not changed’.

‘Chelsea still really want to keep Mount, even though he hasn’t hit the productivity levels of last season when he scored 11 Premier League goals. They face a few challenges, though. Mount expects a similar package to Reece James, and you can understand why if he’s valuing his worth on campaign,’ Jacobs added.

‘The financials (in terms of the base wage) may not actually prove an insurmountable stumbling block. Mount is wrongly being billed by some as greedy and I don’t think that’s true.

‘It’s really more about Mount agreeing to the owner’s new approach: long-term contracts – which aren’t always as easy to get players to commit to as you might think – with incentive-driven clauses and, at the other extreme, decreases if Champions League football isn’t met. As I understand it, all of Chelsea’s January signings have UCL-specific clauses.

‘Chelsea are now expected to pick up talks again at the end of the season and will be encouraged…