Chris Sutton feels Mason Mount ‘struggled’ to have ‘any sort of impact’ in England and the USA’s World Cup tie. His poor performance came as Liverpool track the Chelsea midfielder.
Gareth Southgate gave Mount a free-roaming role in the Group B clash in Al Khor on Friday night. But while the 23-year-old charged around Al Bayt Stadium, he did so without making a telling impact in the game. Instead, the Stars and Stripes often bypassed the 34-cap man.
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For large periods of the game two meeting, Mount was a passenger as the USA targeted a go-ahead goal. His touches were also frequently poor and stopped the Three Lions building attacks. Mount left Declan Rice isolated far too often defensively in England’s core, as well.
Mount simply failed to justify his inclusion as the USA’s energy smothered the England ace. One shot that forced Matt Turner into a save was not enough to outweigh the areas where he struggled. His shot was also one the Arsenal goalkeeper will always be expected to stop.
Sutton felt Mount ‘struggled’ to make an impact for England as Liverpool watch on
The USA bullying Mount off the ball saw the Chelsea midfielder falter for England at a time Liverpool are tracking him. The Guardian reports the Anfield club and Serie A side Juventus are monitoring the Blues product with talks over a new contract in west London on pause.
Mount has 18 months remaining on his existing £88k-a-week deal at Stamford Bridge. But rival teams now sense a potential chance to strike next summer as Chelsea are yet to find a breakthrough. The Blues opened talks over a potential new contract during this summer.
Chelsea hope to resume talks in January once Mount is back from representing England at the World Cup. Yet there are no guarantees he will put pen to paper on fresh terms. The Daily Mail also reports he rejected their offer worth over £200k-a-week before Qatar 2022.
Mount’s agents believe he should get a contract closer to the £300k-a-week deal Raheem Sterling signed after joining for £47.5m. But the Chelsea star failed to impress Sutton in his Daily Mail column with what the Liverpool-tracked talent offered England against the USA.
“Mount is tidy in possession but he’s tenacious out of it,” he wrote. “That’s why Southgate starts him so often in his engine room. But he struggled to have any sort of impact here, other than one snap-shot which was saved by Matt Turner shortly before the break.”
Liverpool are tracking Mount after the England ace’s work for his country and Chelsea. The Portsmouth-born star travelled to the Middle East amid a two-goal and six-assist term for the Blues. But his output in 21 games over all club competitions was not on show in Qatar.
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