Chelsea are closing in on reaching an agreement with Mason Mount over a new contract at Stamford Bridge, according to reports.
Mount came through Chelsea’s academy and broke into the first-team in 2019 under Frank Lampard.
He has since established himself as a key player, and won the Champions League with the club last year, but recent reports claimed that he had ‘reached a stalemate’ with the Blues over a new deal as he prepares to enter the final 18 months of his contract.
There has now been a ‘positive breakthrough’ in negotiations, though, and the player looks set to put pen to paper on a new deal, according to The Athletic.
It is understood that a ‘significant step’ has been taken in the past few weeks, and Chelsea are now optimistic that Mount wants to stay.
The 23-year-old is currently away with the England squad at the World Cup in Qatar, and is not due to return to his club until next month.
However, further talks are expected to take place in January, and Mount could sign his new contract then if these go well.
Mount spoke of being ‘very happy’ at Chelsea over the summer, but there were concerns that he may be having second thoughts about his future after he did not immediately follow Reece James in signing a contract extension in September.
These fears appear to have been allayed now, though, and Mount looks likely to continue with his boyhood club.
Since forcing his way into Chelsea’s senior side, Mount has become a mainstay in the team under Lampard, Thomas Tuchel and now Graham Potter.
The midfielder has scored 32 goals in 181 appearances for Chelsea, and has been voted the team’s player of the year by supporters in each of the last two seasons.
The fans’ favourite was the only Chelsea player to hit double figures in the league last term, scoring 11 top flight goals to seal a top-four finish for the team.