Former Liverpool goalkeeper David James is backing the Premier League club’s pursuit of Chelsea midfielder and England international Mason Mount, speaking to GG Recon.
Just last season, Mount scored 13 goals and set up 16 more for then-World Champions Chelsea. His decline, over the last few months, epitomises that of the London giants as a whole; from top four certainties to 11 points adrift of the Champions League places in the blinking of an eye.
Mount’s form, like many at Stamford Bridge, has nosedived during the Graham Potter era. And, with just 18 months left on his contract, some rather probing questions are starting to be asked as a player who looked destined to spent his best years in West London considers his options.
Liverpool are big fans of Chelsea and England ace Mason Mount
“I’m a big fan of Mason Mount. If you’re Mason Mount or Ruben Loftus-Cheek, you’d be questioning your longevity at the club, due to the number of signings that the club has made,” says James.
“It’s nothing to do with Graham Potter. I did my pro license with him. He’s a fantastic manager and a fantastic person. But I just believe that there’s a lot of players that have come in for a lot of money.
“And then there will be players at the club who were there before the transfer window, who would have believed they’d be at Chelsea for the rest of their career. Like Mason Mount. (They) will now be starting to question whether that’s the case.”
Mount is still one of the first names on Chelsea’s team sheet. The Athletic, however, believe that the academy graduate has rejected a number of opportunities to extend his contract. Liverpool are now pushing hard for a man who’s £80,000-a-week wages are dwarfed by some of his more well-heeled team-mates (Daily Mail).
A young, energetic midfielder is right at the top of Jurgen Klopp’s summer wishlist. And James feels like a new-look engine room of Mount and compatriot Jude Bellingham would go some way to breathing some fresh life into this ageing Liverpool side.
“If Liverpool are interested in him,” James begins. “Then the prospect of Mason Mount and Jude Bellingham in Liverpool’s midfield would be something special, I think.”
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