Chelsea are preparing to release a long list of players next month but pundit Paul Merson believes they shouldn’t sell Mason Mount and N’Golo Kante.
The Blues have one of the biggest squads in the whole of Europe but their new manager will surely want several of them sold. Pochettino will have a massive rebuilding task on his hands this summer so he will have to be very careful with whom he wants to hold onto.
Merson has told Sportskeeda: “After a lorry load of games across all competitions, we still don’t know Chelsea’s best starting XI and we’re at the final game of the season. That just sums them up, really.
“They have too many players and with Mauricio Pochettino set to take over the reins from Frank Lampard, he’s got a massive job on his hands to trim the squad. He won’t want to work with 30-odd players, so I think there could be a bit of a fire sale at Stamford Bridge this summer.
“Two players who shouldn’t be allowed to leave are Mason Mount and N’Golo Kante. Chelsea face an uphill battle to finish in the top four next season, so they can’t afford to sell Mount to the likes of Arsenal, Manchester United or Liverpool, as they’d be strengthening one of their rivals.
“He’s come to a bit of a standstill this season but he was Chelsea’s Player of the Year in 2021 and has a wealth of experience for a 24-year-old.”
Will Chelsea sell both Mason Mount and Kante?
Kante is yet to sign a new contract and the news is that he has not been offered a new deal which means the 32-year-old will leave as a free agent very soon.
Arsenal have been linked with the French international but fresh reports are suggesting that his agents have offered his services to Barcelona. As things stand, Arsenal and Barca are the two linked clubs and it’s almost certain that Kante will not be a Chelsea player next season.
Mason Mount still has one more year left on his contract but Chelsea will sell him if he doesn’t sign a new deal in the next couple of months.
He’s not happy with the terms of the new contract and if things are not sorted out quickly then the England international will be playing for another Premier League club.
Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal are the three clubs who have been constantly linked with the midfielder and if Mason Mount is leaving then he is likely to join one of these three clubs.
Chelsea want £55 million for their academy graduate and even though Manchester United do not want to pay this amount but they are still the front runners in signing Mason Mount.
Liverpool are about to sign Alexis Mac Allister so their interest in Mount is a bit dubious and amongst Man United and Arsenal, the Red Devils have a better chance of landing him.
It’s being claimed that Mason Mount admires Erik ten Hag’s style of football and he is eager to work with the United manager rather than play for the Gunners.
Chelsea’s new manager won’t mind letting N’Golo Kante leave, even if he wants to join Arsenal but Pochettino will try all he can to hold onto Mount. The midfielder’s form has seen a dip this season but he’s still a top talent which is why the new boss wouldn’t want to lose him to a direct rival.
