Real Madrid have reportedly entered the race to sign Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount, who has been strongly linked with a move to Liverpool this summer.
The 24-year-old is approaching the final 12 months of his contract with the Blues, and talks over a new deal at Stamford Bridge seems to have made little progress so far.
As such, it has been widely speculated that Mount will move on this summer, and he appears to have no shortage of big-name suitors, with Manchester United and Bayern Munich also touted as potential destinations.
According to Spanish outlet El Nacional (via Goal), Real are the latest European giant to show an interest in Mount.
The report states that the Champions League holders see him as the perfect replacement for Marco Asensio and former Chelsea man Eden Hazard – both of whom are expected to leave the Bernabeu this off-season.
Mount is currently valued at around £57m by Transfermarkt, although The Athletic reported earlier this week that Chelsea will demand £70m for their academy product.
Mount is currently valued at around £57m by Transfermarkt, although The Athletic reported earlier this week that Chelsea will demand £70m for their academy product.
The England international – who has won 36 caps for his country – made his senior Chelsea debut in 2019 and has gone on to feature 192 times as a mainstay of the Blues team, scoring 33 goals.
Liverpool could face some seriously stiff competition to secure Mount's services, then – especially as their chances of qualification for next season's Champions League continue to hang in the balance.
Manchester United may be looking over their shoulder a little in that regard, while Real and Bayern would have to suffer utterly disastrous ends to their respective campaigns to miss out on a place in Europe's elite club competition next term.
If, on the other hand, Mount does end up extending his stay at Chelsea, it's fair to say Europa League football is the best he can expect in 2023/24: despite a recent upturn in form, Graham Potter's side sit 11 points off the Premier League top four with 11 games to go.
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