Paul Merson has insisted that Chelsea must not sell Mason Mount or N'Golo Kante this summer. The two midfielders both face increasingly uncertain futures at Stamford Bridge and they could be offloaded in the summer transfer window.
With regard to Mount, football.london understands that the Blues have been in contact with him over a new deal, but they've only recently reopened talks. It's said that negotiations have been complicated, with the proposed length of contract and wage packet proving to be a significant hurdle.
If the two parties cannot reach an agreement than the England international will become a free agent in 12 months and, until then, he'll be available on the market for a discounted fee. As for Kante, he sees his contract with the west Londoners expiring at the end of next month and he's yet to commit his long-term future to the club.
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As it stands, Mauricio Pochettino could lose two key components to his perfect midfield next season – according to the CIES Football Observatory, they're valued at a combined £73.8million. In a column for Sportskeeda, Merson explained why Todd Boehly must do whatever it takes to retain Mount and Kante ahead of the Argentine's arrival.
"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," said the former Arsenal midfielder. "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.
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"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."
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