Chelsea star Mason Mount is under contract at Stamford Bridge until 2024 with talks over a renewal having stalled in recent weeks.
The English midfielder has been one of the standout performers this season, particularly since Graham Potter replaced Thomas Tuchel in charge at Chelsea. Mount has registered eight goal contributions in 21 appearances and will now head out to Qatar for the World Cup after being included in Gareth Southgate's England squad.
The Blues head into the World Cup break on the back of four consecutive defeats in all competitions and have already been dumped out of the Carabao Cup in the third round after finishing runners-up last term. The defeat against Newcastle on Saturday leaves Graham Potter's side eighth in the Premier League table, eight points off the top four.
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Following Chelsea's disappointing 1-0 loss at St. James' Park, Mount took to Instagram to issue an apology and send a message to Blues fans for the recent poor performances and results. The England international wrote: "We haven’t played to the level we expect of ourselves as Chelsea.
"You all deserve more from us. When we’re back from the World Cup, we are getting straight back to it and pushing ourselves to a higher level. We have the best fans in the country and we will make you proud this season. MM."
Mount clearly cares about the club and the fans, but his future at Stamford Bridge remains uncertain as contract talks continue to stall. The 23-year-old is still expected to follow Reece James' example and sign a bumper new deal to remain with Chelsea for the foreseeable future with Todd Boehly keen on tying down the star midfielder to a new contract.
Chelsea are now planning to restart contract talks with Mount following the World Cup after encountering a delay in negotiations, according to 90min. There are not understood to be any major issues in the negotiations and both Chelsea and Mount remain optimistic that an extension will be agreed.
The two parties are not significantly apart in their demands but progress has been slow - unlike with James' contract renewal and now the club and player have agreed to postpone all negotiations until after Mount returns from Qatar. Ruben Loftus-Cheek is set to be the next player in line for a new deal at Stamford Bridge, Mateo Kovacic, Christian Pulisic and Edouard Mendy are all expected to sign new deals with the club.
Chelsea are also discussing the futures of midfielders Jorginho and N'Golo Kante, whose deals are up at the end of the season with Barcelona said to be interested in both midfielders ahead of the January transfer window. Foreign clubs will be able to negotiate a pre-contract agreement with the Blues pairing in the new year which could hamper any potential contract renewal talks.
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