🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Mason Mount

[Reddish-Blue 2,505]

16 hours ago, OneMoSalah said:

Who’s to say he will want to renew in the summer? Its more than likely a reality that we are going to finish mid table this season and no doubt him and his agent will be looking out and about for alternatives. Suppose it could also be very dependant on if Graham Potters still in charge next season too because I will put my neck out and say we will likely be mid table again by the end of that season. Seeing very little to indicate that he can do anything to change the tide regardless of how many players we sign

If he wants the best wages, he'll likely re-sign with Chelsea as I highly doubt any other club will give him 200k a week based on his rubbish form.   As for Potter being in charge, there's no guarantee that the next manager would want Mount as a guaranteed starter...as he's not suited to a 2 man midfield and there are better players out there if we go forward with a more attacking midfielder behind the front line. 

16 hours ago, OneMoSalah said:

A sale would again throw some big questions at the owner plus the ramifications for the academy if he’s willing to shift one of the biggest success stories of it because he wont put his hands in his pockets to pay a wage similar to what he’s given other players. There should already be concerns for anybody trying to break through the academy to first team in the next 18-24 months as it is with say 60% of our signings being 22 and under. I don’t see how there is a pathway between the academy and first team for a lot of players now based on the last 2 windows. Not that it was hugely strong beforehand but it was easier to see I think more so than ever over the last 3 or 4 seasons.

Is there really anyone of that level currently in the academy?   You would think the top prospects from the academy would follow a similar path to Broja/Colwill (i.e. go on loan to the Championship/Premier League/decent european league for at least 1 season). 

16 hours ago, OneMoSalah said:

And then if the reason is we need to sell players for FFP then maybe Boehly and co shouldn’t of been so prominent in spending £600m in 1 season without fully understanding the ramifications of FFP. 

I think it was pretty clear that players would be sold off in the next few transfer windows.  Jorginho was just the start.  Better to get some transfer fees for players exiting than watching your best defender leave on a free to Madrid and your other class defender refusing to sign a contract and leaving for Barcelona. 

[Tomo 21,751]

20 hours ago, OneMoSalah said:

A sale would again throw some big questions at the owner plus the ramifications for the academy if he’s willing to shift one of the biggest success stories of it because he wont put his hands in his pockets to pay a wage similar to what he’s given other players. There should already be concerns for anybody trying to break through the academy to first team in the next 18-24 months as it is with say 60% of our signings being 22 and under. I don’t see how there is a pathway between the academy and first team for a lot of players now based on the last 2 windows. Not that it was hugely strong beforehand but it was easier to see I think more so than ever over the last 3 or 4 seasons. 

He's already given that type of money to Reece.

I'm sure if Mount was still performing like he did in 20/21 he'd get the same but the reality is he isn't.

[OneMoSalah 8,886]

4 hours ago, Tomo said:

He's already given that type of money to Reece.

I'm sure if Mount was still performing like he did in 20/21 he'd get the same but the reality is he isn't.

I think he’s waiting to see if his performances are going to justify such wages but that requires a huge improvement from Mason (although I don’t think anybody this season or even 4 months of last was particularly that good to just point the finger at one player). I still think he will resign but not sure for how much.

There are people claiming he’s asking for anywhere between 250-300k a week but I also have doubts Boehly would be handing out these deals at a flat rate to anybody (cant find a figure for Reece’s new contract although was signed ages ago - IIRC around 250k a week but is that basic or add ons/incentives to be taken into it also?) based on the fact of how he’s structured these longer term deals with the new signings ie. more performance based add ons and incentives as opposed to the “premium Abramovich contracts” we keep hearing about in the media. 

Edited February 21, 2023 by OneMoSalah

[robsblubot 3,595]

Agreed. ☝️

Wages are always relative... they go into potential, nationality, shirt sales, long term business strategies, etc. It's hard to analyze that when you don't have all the info.

I don't think the new signings are good options for Mount. Like I said, I'm OK if the club thinks he's not worth the effort/wages and let him go, but I don't see a viable option in the squad. I don't know if the new wingers can grow into this role, but they all look very attacking-minded to me, which does not bring the necessary balance to the team.

My last bit is a cautionary warning 🎵: just like Kante, Mount could be a really really annoying player to play against. And he only has to reproduce what he *has already done* to become even more than just annoying. I, for one, would fucking hate to see him at another PL club. Same with Kante, or Reece, despite the injury issues.

Edited February 22, 2023 by robsblubot

[Vesper 30,175]

How Mason Mount’s Chelsea form has deserted him at the worst possible time

https://theathletic.com/4236782/2023/02/22/mount-Chelsea-contract-form-potter/

When it comes to contract negotiations, timing can be everything.

Mason Mount’s future at Chelsea appears to hang in the balance. As The Athletic revealed earlier this week, talks over an extension are on hold for the rest of the season while the club concentrate on improving their form in the Premier League and Champions League.

Should nothing be agreed in the summer, Chelsea will look to sell the England international because he will have just 12 months left on his current deal and the owners will not countenance losing him for free the following year. The Todd Boehly-Clearlake consortium struggled to fathom how the previous regime had permitted Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen, both international defenders, to wind down their contracts and depart as free agents. They are determined that their club will never be left so vulnerable.

Given he is an academy product, Mount’s sale will count as pure profit on the club’s books and help Chelsea comply with financial fair play in the wake of a transfer spend in excess of £500million ($605m) over the past two windows.

Before the Boehly-Clearlake takeover was completed, The Athletic reported how Mount was attracting interest from three top clubs in England as well as others from abroad. They were not named at the time, but his English admirers are Liverpool, Manchester United and Manchester City, while Juventus are one of his suitors in Europe. The suggestion he might not agree a new contract and leave was met with outcry back then. Yet, almost 10 months on, it remains very much a possibility.

That same story explained how Reece James was in a similar situation at the time, only for the owners to renegotiate fresh terms and, in September, confirm the England full-back as the highest-paid defender in the club’s history.

Despite several meetings since last June, there has been no such resolution with Mount.

As head coach Graham Potter admitted last week, the midfielder’s situation is complicated.

Much has been made of what Mount is demanding and, while suggestions he has asked for £300,000 a week are wide of the mark, he has rejected offers made by the club. Yet it is too simplistic to say the weekly wage is behind the impasse. There are other things at stake, from image rights to bonuses and the length of contract. Mount is reluctant to sign a deal that stretches beyond five years. The owners want him to commit to six to eight years, following the lead of James, Trevoh Chalobah, Armando Broja and several of the club’s recent signings.

There is still time for a breakthrough. This, after all, is a negotiation. But Mount’s bargaining position is not as strong as he would have hoped given the 24-year-old has lurched into his worst stretch of form since breaking through into the senior set-up in 2019-20.

---

In terms of the simple statistic of goals and assists, Mount’s numbers are down.

In 2019-20, he registered eight goals and six assists in 53 appearances across all competitions, or one goal involvement every 3.79 games. The following season it went up to nine goals and nine assists in 54 appearances — a goal involvement every three games. The last campaign was his best yet with 13 goals and 16 assists in 53 appearances, an extremely impressive goal involvement of one in every 1.83 matches. So far this term, however, his downturn has seen only three goals and six assists (one goal involvement every 3.44 games). Unless he musters a strong run-in, he is on course to register his fewest amount of goals in a season for Chelsea.

The slump is reflected in other metrics. Consider expected goals (xG), expected assists (xA) and shot-creating actions — which FBref explains as the “two offensive actions directly leading to a shot, such as passes, take-ons and drawing fouls” — per 90 minutes in the Premier League and 2022-23 ranks as his lowest on every category:

Compare, too, how he fares with his team-mates who play in advanced positions, whether that be in attacking midfield or further forward. It should be noted that some of the players in the chart below, comprised from Premier League and Champions League minutes, have been on the pitch a lot less than Mount so their figures could be considered a little distorted. Nevertheless, Mount’s xG per 90 minutes ranks him bottom. He’s averaging a career-low of 1.8 shots per 90 minutes this season, the first time he has dropped below two shots per 90 in a Chelsea shirt.

 

 

Such evidence will only strengthen the resolve of those who do not rate Mount highly and believe the club should take this opportunity to sell him on. But it would be wrong to judge Mount’s ability based entirely on the last six months, ignoring everything he delivered over the preceding three years. Last season he ranked eighth in the Premier League for shot-creating actions per 90 minutes, even sitting above Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes.

Chelsea fans have voted him their Player of the Season the past two years and those who attended the 1-0 defeat at home to Southampton showed their appreciation beforehand by unfurling a huge banner in his honour, “Mason Mount The Boy Who Had A Dream”, across the Matthew Harding stand. Sanctioning the sale of such a popular figure with match-going fans would represent quite the call by the hierarchy.

With so much recent upheaval within the squad, the presence of someone who has been at Stamford Bridge since his youth and can transmit what is expected at the club to the raft of new players is to be valued. There is a possibility veteran captain Cesar Azpilicueta will leave this summer, maintaining the exodus of the group that claimed the Champions League in 2021. Thiago Silva is staying for another year but, at 38, the clock is ticking on his time at the club.

That will leave James with some burden to carry for the long term if Mount is not alongside him in the dressing room.

There is no denying Mount’s displays and metrics have disappointed this season, but who in this Chelsea team has been playing well on a consistent basis? Silva has maintained a very high level, but few others can say the same. How much responsibility does Potter have to bear? Mount excelled under previous coaches Frank Lampard and Thomas Tuchel — and Potter currently has the lowest winning percentage of any Chelsea head coach for 30 years.

Mount’s lack of attacking output can also be explained by the fact that Potter has been playing him deeper more often.

The diagram below shows Mount’s share of minutes per position in 2021-22, when Tuchel was at the helm; 78 per cent of his time on the pitch was spent in an attacking-midfield role:

That figure drops to 48 per cent for this season, where he is being used more in a central-midfield berth, further away from the final third. Six of his 22 Premier League appearances this term came under Tuchel, but this should serve as another pointer as to why his attacking metrics have deteriorated:

Potter actually asked Mount to play in a role on the left against Southampton, but he was horribly peripheral. According to FBref, he managed only 20 touches in his 63 minutes on the pitch, completing only six of his 12 passes en route. It was arguably his least-effective performance yet.

The numbers do not take into account how Chelsea have been devoid of a settled team this season and it will inevitably take a while to build an understanding with new players. Enzo Fernandez, Mykhailo Mudryk, Noni Madueke, Benoit Badiashile, David Datro Fofana and loanee Joao Felix only joined last month.

The drop may also be born of fatigue after a cluttered schedule that has stretched for years, with limited breaks in between campaigns. His time with England took him to the European Championship in 2021 and the World Cup in 2022. Mount has played 227 times since the start of 2019-20.

But he would only be human if the uncertainty over his future is affecting him mentally too.

Naturally, his critics will argue this is a situation all of his own making. He should simply sign up and concentrate on delivering out on the turf. But, even if a player has great affection for a club, he is entitled to negotiate the best possible terms. Achieving that at a time when Chelsea’s new owners are determined to lower the wage bill and want players to agree to incentivised contracts, where their salary increases if they achieve certain targets like qualifying for the Champions League, is a further complication. Mount’s timing may be out.

Positive discussions were held in November and there was optimism on both sides that talks would reach a positive conclusion in the new year. Where previous discussions had been held with Boehly and fellow co-owner Behdad Eghbali, Chelsea’s new structure has seen recent talks fall under the remit of others. For example, co-sporting director Paul Winstanley has also met with Mount’s representatives.

The hope remains that some kind of agreement can eventually be struck and that a complex situation can be resolved favourably for player and club. In the shorter term, both Chelsea and Mount will benefit most from seeing him back to his best on the pitch.

[MoroccanBlue 5,382]

Gallagher and CHO should be the only academy players we should be selling next summer. 

[Vesper 30,175]

9 minutes ago, MoroccanBlue said:

Gallagher and CHO should be the only academy players we should be selling next summer. 

you mean 2023 or 2024?

I am calling 2023 'this summer', as it starts in only 4 months or so

[MoroccanBlue 5,382]

1 hour ago, Vesper said:

you mean 2023 or 2024?

I am calling 2023 'this summer', as it starts in only 4 months or so

Yes. This summer. 

Mount with a limited role can still be important for us. 

Gallagher and CHO will never be important. 

[NikkiCFC 8,319]

16 minutes ago, MoroccanBlue said:

Yes. This summer. 

Mount with a limited role can still be important for us. 

Gallagher and CHO will never be important. 

Ampadu, Chalobah, RLC?

And Mount doesn't want limited role. But I guess you want to lose him on free since he is the one who's refusing to sign new contract. 

[MoroccanBlue 5,382]

8 minutes ago, NikkiCFC said:

Ampadu, Chalobah, RLC?

And Mount doesn't want limited role. But I guess you want to lose him on free since he is the one who's refusing to sign new contract. 

Why would we sell Chalobah? He's a great squad option? Just signed a new deal too. 

We aren't shifting RLC on 120kpw. 

Completely forgot about Ampadu so good funds there. 

 

Mount isn't refusing the role nor the salary, he's refusing the length of the contract. He wants 5 years max and we are offering 7-8. 

 

[Fernando 6,585]

I don't think we should sell Gallagher. 

He still have a bright future for me. With Potter many players have looked bad this season. Remember how Rudgier was very bad until Tuchel came in?

We should give Gallagher more time with us. 

[MoroccanBlue 5,382]

7 minutes ago, Fernando said:

I don't think we should sell Gallagher. 

He still have a bright future for me. With Potter many players have looked bad this season. Remember how Rudgier was very bad until Tuchel came in?

We should give Gallagher more time with us. 

In favor of whom exactly? 

If we improve in CM this summer (which we will) Gallagher will genuinly have no place here. He won't have a place in the attack nor the midfield. 

[Superblue 6,372]

If Mason signed a new contract this summer then 5 years should be fine from the club perspective also. 

He'd be 6 months shy of his 30th birthday by that point. If he's performing at a high level at that stage and deserves a new contract then fair enough. Otherwise he's moved on close to that point or allowed to leave having spent what should be his best years here.

I understand the 7 - 8 year contracts not just for amortisation on the new signings, but for a number of players in their early 20's to keep them here throughout the bulk, if not all of their 20's. Mount is a couple years older than some of these though, and 5 years more than protects an investment in his value. Certainly a lot more than having just a year left on his deal.

If that is the sticking point with a new deal (the club want longer than 5 years), I'd be disappointed with the club's stance and stubbornness here.

[Tomo 21,751]

1 hour ago, MoroccanBlue said:

Why would we sell Chalobah? He's a great squad option? Just signed a new deal too. 

We aren't shifting RLC on 120kpw. 

Completely forgot about Ampadu so good funds there. 

 

Mount isn't refusing the role nor the salary, he's refusing the length of the contract. He wants 5 years max and we are offering 7-8. 

 

If we stick to a back four permanently and (as we should) promote Colwill there's little room for him unless he goes on loan until Silva retires.

[NikkiCFC 8,319]

1 hour ago, MoroccanBlue said:

Mount isn't refusing the role nor the salary, he's refusing the length of the contract. He wants 5 years max and we are offering 7-8. 

I don't believe this for a second. 

First of all it's hard to imagine such a small detail can be deal breaker. 

He is not resigning because it was reported by tier one journalists that he wants money close to highest earners or 3 times more than current. Also he is not sure about role because there is no place for him in starting 11. I mean in current 4231 he cannot play in pivot, Felix, Nkunku, Havertz all ahead for number 10 role. And Mudryk and Sterling for LW. Not even first option from the bench. Remember Lampard quote about fire in his eyes when not picked? Plus became very toxic between him and Chelsea fans, saw the other day he is blocking people on Twitter. In Liverpool he could play perfect role for him in 433 where there is no expectation in the final 3rd, just to press and let front 3 do the work. 

 

So this is only reasons from Mount pov. Now there is Chelsea pov and the list is even longer because for sure nobody is happy with him. And also we heard what academy players mean for FFP.

I think the decision is already been made but news that it will be resolved in the summer is just to put all this noise about him to bad. I think he is leaving and won't start many games till the end of the season. 

About Chalobah yeah if he wants to be 5th choice squad option he can stay. 

LCB Badiashile and Colwill for a next decade 

RCB Fofana and Silva who will be replaced in the summer 2024. 

 

[MoroccanBlue 5,382]

1 hour ago, NikkiCFC said:

I don't believe this for a second. 

First of all it's hard to imagine such a small detail can be deal breaker. 

He is not resigning because it was reported by tier one journalists that he wants money close to highest earners or 3 times more than current. Also he is not sure about role because there is no place for him in starting 11. I mean in current 4231 he cannot play in pivot, Felix, Nkunku, Havertz all ahead for number 10 role. And Mudryk and Sterling for LW. Not even first option from the bench. Remember Lampard quote about fire in his eyes when not picked? Plus became very toxic between him and Chelsea fans, saw the other day he is blocking people on Twitter. In Liverpool he could play perfect role for him in 433 where there is no expectation in the final 3rd, just to press and let front 3 do the work. 

 

So this is only reasons from Mount pov. Now there is Chelsea pov and the list is even longer because for sure nobody is happy with him. And also we heard what academy players mean for FFP.

I think the decision is already been made but news that it will be resolved in the summer is just to put all this noise about him to bad. I think he is leaving and won't start many games till the end of the season. 

About Chalobah yeah if he wants to be 5th choice squad option he can stay. 

LCB Badiashile and Colwill for a next decade 

RCB Fofana and Silva who will be replaced in the summer 2024. 

 

Name them and provide the source. 

[OneMoSalah 8,886]

6 hours ago, MoroccanBlue said:

Why would we sell Chalobah? He's a great squad option? Just signed a new deal too. 

We aren't shifting RLC on 120kpw. 

Completely forgot about Ampadu so good funds there. 

 

Mount isn't refusing the role nor the salary, he's refusing the length of the contract. He wants 5 years max and we are offering 7-8. 

 

Yep this is being heavily implicated as the main issue and has been for a while, the Athletic have been on about it a few times.

I don’t think wages will be a big issue at all once the length of deal is in the ball park of what he’s looking for.

He doesn’t strike me as someone who wants to be the highest paid player but just wants a fair wage that reflects his position at the club. In fact the only thing I’ve seen re wages is he wants a higher base salary meaning less incentives/add ons so more money upfront but it didn’t specify a sum specifically.

I doubt he’s asking for 250-300k straight up like many hinting at but as I said in a previous post people will use this situation as a stick to beat him.

I think if the offer was say around 175k base plus whatever add ons/incentives on a 4 or 5 year deal it would of been signed by now. 

Edited February 22, 2023 by OneMoSalah

[bigbluewillie 1,930]

On 26/11/2022 at 13:26, OhForAGreavsie said:

Thank you!!! If you ever spot me in a pub, come claim a free drink.

The whole world has forgotten the word uninterested because they think disinterested means the same thing and makes them sound cleverer. Well originally disinterested did not mean uninterested. These days however, after being so widely misused, for so long, it has to be accepted that it does mean uninterested. Indeed, dictionaries now give both its original meaning and the uninterested definition when you look up the word disinterested.

Still hurts my head though when people say disinterested, when what they really mean is uninterested. I wonder how many of those people know what disinterested really means?

Fucking hell mate even Greavsie wouldn't have said that he wouldn't have been interested.

[YorkshireBlue 3,277]

@OhForAGreavsie Disinterested means “without a vested interest.”

Uninterested means “not showing interest.”

Can I claim a free pint lad? 

[OhForAGreavsie 6,073]

1 hour ago, YorkshireBlue said:

@OhForAGreavsie Disinterested means “without a vested interest.”

Uninterested means “not showing interest.”

Can I claim a free pint lad? 

You're on!

I'm not covering your petrol money mind. 🙂 🙂