Glen Johnson believes Mason Mount is not worth the salary demands but says Chelsea may need him to sign Declan Rice
Former Liverpool and Chelsea right-back Glen Johnson believes that Mason Mount is not worth the salary demanded by him, but the Blues may need to keep him if they want to sign West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice in the future.
Mount is one of the lowest-paid players in the Blues squad and the club wishes to change that. However, negotiations have not gone according to plan with the midfielder believed to be wanting £300,000-a-week. Talks between the two parties have now been shelved and will resume next year.
The 23-year-old sees his current contract expire in 2024 with rivals Liverpool interested in the Cobham graduate. On the other hand, the west London club have been heavily linked with Mount’s great friend Rice.
Rice himself is a former Cobham graduate who made the move to West Ham in 2013 on a free transfer. Since then, the 23-year-old has established himself to be one of the best in the middle of the park and it is believed that the Blues will make a move for him next summer.
Now, Johnson as quoted in the Metro believes that Mount is not worth the salary he is demanding but the Blues might need to keep him if they want to be able to land Rice in the future.
“I don’t think he’s got to the level to demand £300,000-a-week. Obviously he’s a good player and Chelsea won’t want to lose him but you can’t be held hostage to anyone. I can’t imagine he’s the sort of lad that would down tools if he doesn’t get £300,000-a-week.”
“Obviously he’s a good player and Chelsea won’t want to lose him but you can’t be held hostage to anyone. I can’t imagine he’s the sort of lad that would down tools if he doesn’t get £300,000-a-week. Chelsea may have to keep Mount tactically if they do want to sign Declan Rice as well.”
Mount has been a crucial player for Graham Potter this season. The 23-year-old has played in 21 games in all competitions, registering six assists in the process. He along with Rice were also regular for England during the World Cup in Qatar.
While the salary demands are indeed very big, the midfielder has not been able to make his case this season. He has struggled in front of goal and was also below par at the World Cup. If he wants to demand such a huge salary, he will be wise to show why he deserves that on the pitch.
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As for Rice, the Blues have been linked with him for a long time and it remains to be seen if they make any offer next summer. While his friendship with Mount could play a factor in the future, we believe it will not be ‘the’ factor should the Blues come knocking.
