Chelsea should address 'frustrated' Mount situation to avoid growing concern

Mason Mount is reportedly prepared to leave Chelsea if he continues to be seen as youth prospect and not one of the club's biggest stars.

The midfielder, 22, has been crucial to the Blues' success in recent years and deserves a salary that reflects his hard work.

According to the Daily Star, Mount feels "frustrated" and "under appreciated" at Chelsea compared to other first-team regulars.

The player has been at Stamford Bridge since he was six and is thought to be negotiating a new deal to reflect his importance to the team.

Mount is said to be willing to find a new club if his future isn't resolved soon, with Manchester City, Liverpool, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich all reportedly interested.

Does Mason Mount deserve to be one of Chelsea's highest earners? Let us know in the comments below!

"Mason is a top lad and thought of well within Chelsea, and is popular with the team," a source said to The Star. "But he isn’t feeling appreciated anymore.

"He’s been at Chelsea since he was a tiny lad, but despite coming up through the Academy, he doesn’t feel like he gets the same treatment or recognition as players bought in for big money."

And Mount is said to be a fan of Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp.

"He is torn because he loves the club and the fans, but thinks it’s time for him to leave to step up his career," added the source. "And where better to do that than Liverpool?"

Mount is believed to be earning just £75,000-a-week at Chelsea - making him one of the club's lowest earners - after signing a five-year deal in the summer of 2019.

Since then, however, he's blossomed into one of Thomas Tuchel's best midfielders, jumping ahead of Ross Barkley, Mateo Kovacic and Ruben Loftus-Cheek in the pecking order.

Mount has played 120 games for the Blues since the start of 2019-20 campaign, becoming a 26-cap England international and assisting Kai Havertz's winning goal in last season's Champions League final.

His performances in 2020-21 saw him receive Chelsea's Player of the Year award - summing up his importance to the team.

And if the early stages of this term are anything to go by, Mount is starting to add goals to his game - scoring a wonderful hat-trick against Norwich last month.

Between then and Saturday's 3-0 win against Leicester, however, he played just 28 minutes of club football. This is probably down to the number of midfielders at Tuchel's disposal - but still a worrying sign for fans.

Mount's alleged contract dispute is also a worry due to other players urgently needing to resolve their Chelsea careers.

Defenders Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger are both out of contract in June and are central to Tuchel's plans, making 29 appearances between them this season.

As the Blues sit three points clear at the top of the Premier League, all is well on the pitch - but a contractual storm is brewing off it.

Regardless of whether speculation surrounding Mount's future is just idle chitchat, he should play a leading role in the club's future and be one of their highest earners.

Chelsea's contract disputes could see their illustrious squad fall apart during the next 12 months. They need to solve this problem before Mount wears the red of Liverpool.