Newcastle United are reportedly ‘entering the race’ to sign Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount amid interest from Premier League rivals Liverpool.
Mount is due to be out of contract at the end of the 2023/24 campaign. this summer if he does not pen an extension in the coming months.
The Blues academy product has been a valuable player for the Premier League club in recent years under different managers. But he is at a career crossroads with Chelsea’s heavy investment perhaps giving him the idea that now is the right time to move on.
Mount’s contract situation has alerted several clubs, who could get themselves a bargain in the summer with the midfielder up for sale as he enters the final year of his deal.
Liverpool are known to be admirers of the England international.
But The Daily Mail are reporting that Newcastle United are now ‘entering the race’ to sign the centre-midfielder.
The report notes that Chelsea are ‘determined’ not to lose Mount but their hand will be forced if he does not sign a new contract.
Newcastle ‘want to sign some marquee names’ but they are understood to be limited due to Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules.
Bayer Leverkusen wonderkid Florian Wirtz and Leicester winger Harvey Barnes are ‘admired’ by Newcastle, while Mount ‘could be available for cheaper than expected this summer’ given his contract status.
Newcastle and Liverpool are not alone though as ‘Manchester United, Manchester City and Juventus are also said to be interested in the 36-cap international’s signature if Chelsea do decide to cash in’.
Eddie Howe’s side are enjoying a successful season as they reached the Carabao Cup final and have spent much of this campaign in the Champions League places.
But their lack of quality throughout their squad has arguably been on show in recent weeks as they have slipped out of the top four. They are now sixth in the table and have failed to win in five league games.
Club legend Alan Shearer feels “it would be a miracle” if Newcastle end up in the top four.
“The job that Eddie Howe is doing with the squad that he has got, and when you compare it to all of the others in the top four race that he is battling against, to be in third/fourth/fifth for most of the season is a remarkable achievement.
“If they were to finish in any European place then that would be classed as a great season because looking back to where they were and where they are, it’s a huge, giant step in such a small amount of time.
“It’s going to take patience and little bit of understanding, but the more transfer windows they have and as they bring in better players, the better it will be. And that is going to happen, so it is only going to be a matter of time.”