25 May 2023 , 12:42
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Chelsea boss Frank Lampard has dropped a massive hint that Mason Mount will leave the club this summer with Manchester United pushing for his transfer.
Mount is not currently one of the top 20 paid players at Stamford Bridge and with multiple attacking arrivals at the West London club across the past two transfer windows, his future has come into question. He is believed to be available in the region of £55million.
Mount is aware that Chelsea want to sell him this summer and he has expressed a preference for joining United in that instance. That would bring an end to his career-long association with the Blues and would see one of their most impressive academy graduates join a direct rival.
Lampard, who will also depart the Blues at the end of the campaign with his short-term stint in the dugout coming to a conclusion, has now spoken of his pessimism over Mount’s future at the club – stating that his status as an academy graduate had little bearing on his future.
“Because I've worked in football and I've worked long time, I understand that many things can happen,” Lampard has said of the future of Mount. “That does not always depend on whether you come from the academy, or Eden Hazard leaving when he was the best player in the league. He only had one year left on his contract.”
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He added: “Some things happen in football, some things are just decisions that you are not privy to. But I understand the feelings of a player who has come through the club and been really pivotal. He has been Player of the Year at the club twice, and he won the Champions League at such a young age. Everyone at the club is already aware of that.
Mason Mount is in the final 15 months of his Chelsea contract (Marc Atkins/Getty Images)Have Your Say! Are Chelsea making a mistake in allowing Mount to leave? Tell us what you think here.
“I think it remains to be seen how the situation goes forward and I think that is probably the best time to talk about it.”
Mount has scored 33 goals in 195 first-team appearances for Chelsea, the club whom he first joined as a six-year-old. He spent two seasons on loan away from the club, one each at Vitesse in the Netherlands and Derby in the Championship, who were then managed by Lampard.
United now appear to be leading the chase for his signature this summer with Liverpool and Arsenal also holding an interest in signing the England international.