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Liverpool, Manchester United, and Newcastle United have all joined the race to sign Chelsea's star player Mason Mount. The England international's contract at Chelsea is set to expire in the summer of 2024. According to reports, a contract extension hasn't yet been agreed upon.

The questions being asked here are, where will Mount go next, and if he does sign for Liverpool, how would he fit into their midfield?

Who is Mason Mount?

Mason Mount is a 24-year-old attacking midfielder/central midfielder who currently plays for English Premier League side Chelsea. Since playing for the London club, he has scored 27 goals in 127 games across all competitions.

He made his debut playing for Chelsea's senior team after coming through the 'Blues' youth system in 2017 and his international debut for England came in 2019.

While playing for England, he has so far scored 5 goals in 36 games. Mount was born in Portsmouth, England, in January 1999; the right-footed attacking midfielder wears the number 19 shirt for Chelsea.

Where would Mount fit into Liverpool's midfield if he makes the switch?

If Liverpool were to sign Mount this year or next year, it would be purely to strengthen the current midfield, which currently consists of the following players:

• Fabinho
• Harvey Elliot
• Curtis Jones
• Jordan Henderson
• Alexander Oxlade-Chamberlain
• James Milner
• Thiago Alcantara
• Naby Keita
• Stefan Bajcetic

If he does sign for the 'Reds,' he would definitely be an asset to the club. He would n easily fit into the middle of the field without Klopp having to make too many changes. Liverpool will no doubt be keeping a close eye on Mount's contract situation over the coming months.

Mason Mount's next club odds

If you look at some of today's major soccer betting websites, you will see that Manchester United have a slightly better chance of signing Mason Mount than Liverpool.

Some of the other clubs he could also potentially sign for are Newcastle United (English Premier League), Manchester City (English Premier League), Paris Saint-Germain (French Ligue 1), or Inter Milan (Italian Serie A).

Let's take a quick closer look at the odds:

• Manchester United – Mount is currently priced, on average, at around 4/1 in the UK fractional odds format to join the Red Devils. This works out to 400 in the American/moneyline odds format or 5.00 in the European decimal odds format. This also means that there's a 20% chance of him joining Man United
• Liverpool – To join Liverpool, you're currently looking at odds of around 6/1 (which is 600, or 7.00), with a 14.30% chance of joining
• Manchester City – To join the Sky Blues, you're looking at average odds of around 12/1 (1,200, or 13.00), with a 7.70% chance of joining
• Paris Saint-Germain – To join Ligue 1 side PSG, you're looking at odds of around 16/1 (1,600, or 17.00), with a 5.90% chance of joining
• Inter Milan – To join Inter, the market is priced at around 25/1 (2,500, or 26.00), with only a 3.80% chance of joining

What's next for Mason Mount

Mason Mount is currently worth somewhere in the region of €55 million to €92 million. Whether Chelsea extends his contract to keep him there for a few more years or decides to cash in on their prolific star player while he's in the best form of his life remains to be seen.

Chelsea are currently in tenth place in the Premier League. They have just 34 points after 25 games, having won only 9 games, drawn 7 and lost 9. They have scored 24 goals and let in 25.

On Saturday, March 11th, they travel away in the Premier League to play Leicester City at the King Power Stadium. Their next league game is a home game against Everton on March 18th, and then on April 1st, they have another home game, this time against Aston Villa.

Image Source: Pixabay

Chelsea are expected to make contact with Mauricio Pochettino over the coming days as their search for their next permanent manager rolls on.

Could Chelsea land Pochettino?

The Argentine manager has now been available since leaving his post with Paris Saint-Germain last summer but is garnering attention from elsewhere.

London rivals, Tottenham Hotspur, have also been credited with an interest in their former manager, although there are believed to be some reservations behind the scenes.

But it is apparent large sections of their fans would like to see the 51-year-old make his return to N17 as they sang his name from the stands on Monday night.

The Argentine has a big affiliation with Chelsea's rivals so it would be intriguing to see whether that could potentially get in the way of a potential move to Stamford Bridge.

However, there is also the matter of the potential opening at Real Madrid in the summer in which Pochettino is believed to be one. of the main candidates ahead of the summer.

Speaking to NBC Sports, David Ornstein has claimed he now expects contact to ramp up between the Blues and managerial candidates with the 51-year-old being one of them:

(0:30) "There will be contact with a number of others as well, such as Mauricio Pochettino. And those contacts are now starting to be initiated as Chelsea look to move on.

"And the reason they want to move on is because of the potential competition. Tottenham Hotspur are also looking for a manager, Paris Saint-Germain could be in the market in not too long too. Real Madrid possibly at the end of the season.

"And from what we hear the likes of Mauricio Pochettino and Julian Nagelsmann may be interested in the Real Madrid post. So I think Chelsea are trying to steal a march on their rivals."

Would Pochettino be a good appointment for Chelsea?

What the Argentine would have going in his favour is his knowledge of the Premier League having spent over five years in London with Spurs.

And in that time he was able to develop Spurs into a consistent top-four side who were challenging for trophies over the course of his reign.

However, the main issue many Chelsea fans will likely have is that the Argentine was not able to get Spurs over the line in terms of trophies with his tenure effectively proving fruitless despite their respective achievements.

Another potential concern that may be evident for some is that Pochettino has proven himself to be somewhat of a project manager having looked to develop talent at Spurs with the funds not widely available over his time at the club.

And as Graham Potter has found out, time is not on your side as the Chelsea manager with Todd Boehly clearly looking for quick success after the money he has spent.

Pochettino – hailed a "master tactician" by BBC's Mina Rzouki – previously managed a side full of superstars during his time at PSG and his tenure will probably go down as mediocre with Lille winning Ligue 1 in his first season.

So it will be intriguing to see whether Pochettino would be open to a potential move to Stamford Bridge and whether the vacancy would even prove to be something that would appeal to a manager like the Argentine.

How Chelsea could have done with a forward of Armando Broja's abilities in front of goal as their offensive woes continued on Saturday after falling to a disappointing 2-0 home defeat against Aston Villa.

What are Armando Broja's statistics?

The Blues mustered 27 shots on goal but failed to find the back of the net once again, with a lack of clinical finishing a significant factor behind their bottom half standing in the Premier League.

Therefore, It is unfortunate that young forward Armando Broja suffered a season-ending injury during the World Cup break, as he could have been a big player for the west London outfit in the remainder of the campaign.

However, there is no doubt that the Albania international could be influential again under a new manager if he can rediscover the form that he showed out on loan at Southampton in the 2021/22 season, where he managed eight goals in all competitions.

Although he managed just one goal for the Blues in the first half of the campaign, he is still only 21 and looks set for a bright future, whether that be at Stamford Bridge or elsewhere.

Fortunately for Todd Boehly, if he ever opts to cash in on the young striker, he looks certain to make a significant profit, as the young striker, who earns £40k-per-week, would join the club at U9 level.

How much is Armando Broja worth now?

Unsurprisingly, Broja's impressive form out on loan in his first taste of senior football in England, as well as the new long-term contract that he signed earlier this season, have seen his market value shoot up in recent years.

According to Football Transfers, the former Vitesse loanee is now valued at €33.9m (£30m), which represents an impressive rise given he was valued at less than €10m (£9m) only a year ago.

The disappointing form of Kai Havertz, which has returned just seven league goals this season, as well as the ostracisation of Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang, suggests that any new appointment could still look towards Broja as the long-term goalscoring solution in the side when he returns from injury.

The young forward was notably praised by Albanian coach Sergio Porrini last season, saying:

"He's grown a lot since last year and he's exploded at Southampton. His greatest qualities are in his progression, especially ball and chain.

"With the necessary comparisons, he's somewhat reminiscent of [Rafael] Leao in how unstoppable he becomes if he stretches the ball into space On the other hand, he is less good with his back to goal, in the construction of the action, but in the spaces he is devastating."

Thus, if he can live up to his obvious potential at Stamford Bridge, then his market value will only continue to rocket, which emphasises that the club well and truly struck gold by unearthing such a promising young player from their academy.

Newcastle United midfielder Elliot Anderson has responded on social media after VAR opted to controversially rule out his goal for offside on Friday night.

What's the latest on Elliot Anderson and NUFC?

In the first Premier League game of the latest round of fixtures, the Magpies travelled away from home to take on Nottingham Forest at the City Ground.

In the end, a brace from Alexander Isak was enough to see Eddie Howe and his side pick up all three points in a 2-1 win despite Emmanuel Dennis' opener.

Seeing as the game was won by a last-minute penalty, it's easy to understand how tight the match was, but things could have been very different had Anderson's goal stood.

Evidently upset by the decision, after the game the player took to Instagram to offer up a disappointed "Cheers, mate" in response to Sean Longstaff's show of support.

Why was Elliot Anderson's goal ruled out for Newcastle?

As per The Athletic, it seems the goal was ruled out because Longstaff was deemed to be offside in the build-up, even though he only touched the ball after it had been played by a Forest defender.

However, with the help of VAR, referee Paul Tierney decided that defender Felipe had not intentionally played the ball and so Longstaff’s subsequent involvement was from an offside position.

On top of his story, Anderson also added in a separate Instagram post that he is "gutted it hasn’t stood" but still delighted to have helped out in the "huge" three points.

After the game, manager Howe seemed baffled by it all as well. He told the press: “I’m not sure what happened there, I’ve got no idea, so I need to sit down and see what happened and what the thought process was.

“I was surprised to see the referee go over to the screen and make that decision and that call. It was what it was, and I think the big thing from that is that the players responded really well.”

Manchester United remain interested in making a move for West Ham midfielder Declan Rice this summer despite reports to the contrary, according to a fresh transfer update.

The Lowdown: Rice rumours swirling

The England international will be a wanted man at the end of this season, with his current Hammers deal expiring in 2024 and no sign of him extending his stay at the club.

Rice has continued to be a vital player for West Ham this season, starting all 24 of their Premier League matches and averaging 2.1 tackles per game.

United had been linked with a move for the 24-year-old a number of times but a recent report from GiveMeSport claimed Erik ten Hag isn’t keen on signing him.

However, the saga seems to have taken another twist with this latest news…

The Latest: United still keen

According to Football Insider, the Red Devils are in fact ‘still hopeful’ of acquiring Rice’s services this summer, even though he would prefer to ‘stay in London’.

United believe they ‘can still convince’ the West Ham star to join them, with the midfielder described in the report as ‘one of the most sought-after players in world football’.

The Glazers apparently want to blow rival suitors Arsenal away with a monster move – Rice is expected to cost upwards of £100m.

The Verdict: Could be a sensational signing

Rice has already become such a dominant and influential player for England across two major tournaments, winning 39 caps to date, and he could be a fantastic signing for United.

The £60,000-a-week midfielder could complement Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes beautifully, possessing the box-to-box energy that someone like Christian Eriksen can’t provide week in week out.

Not only that, but Rice is someone who has the potential to become world-class in the coming years, with 24 still such a young age in a footballing sense, so United could be signing a future captain and real rising star in the middle of the park.

The price tag is likely to be eye-watering, which isn’t ideal, but with Ten Hag looking to turn his side into an even stronger outfit moving forward, it is hard not to see Rice improving them further, having been described as ‘magnificent’ by journalist Joe Chapman during the 2022 World Cup.

TalkSport’s Simon Jordan has claimed that Tottenham Hotspur owner Daniel Levy has the ‘responsibility’ to make sure he’s got the best recruitment staff. 

The Lowdown: Spurs spending

In comparison to the rest of the ‘big six’ Spurs have spent a lot less on their all-time record signing, according to FourFourTwo, Antonio Conte’s side spent £63 million on Tanguy Ndombele.

Interestingly it’s the same amount as fellow Premier League side Newcastle United who were only recently taken over in the last year or so.

The Latest: Jordan on Levy

Speaking live on TalkSport, Jordan claimed that Levy needs to have the best recruitment team around him if he’s not going to spend heavily on transfers.

He stated (0:12), “Someone could make the argument if you can’t stand the heat get the kitchen Tottenham Hotspur are a big football club with big ambitions and big aspirations and the rules of the game have changed.

“Daniel Levy runs this business as a business and it will not appeal to the Tottenham fans. It doesn’t play into the narrative of we must throw everything at it.

“We’ve got all the money to do it and Joe Lewis should get his hand in his pocket so should Daniel Levy.

“This is not the ownership model you have and tragically, Tottenham are in a situation where in order for them to be a big side, they’re going to have to go toe to toe with others or, be really, really good at what they’re doing in recruitment.

“Daniel’s responsibility is to make sure that he’s got the very best in class. Outside of his boardroom, dealing with the player recruitment to give them maximum value so they can trade properly by properly and give itself opportunity because they ain’t gonna spend the pound for pound with others.”

The Verdict: It can be done

The ethics of money in football has always been questioned for a long, long time, with people wondering if you can succeed without spending a lot of money.

Recently we’ve seen two clubs in the Premier League succeed without chucking huge amounts of cash at players, both Brighton & Hove Albion and Brentford haven’t spent hefty fees on transfers but found success in this season.

With Tottenham having more than a respectable history over the years, attracting players wouldn’t be the hard part. What the challenge is in our view, is actually finding these players who won’t break the bank.

That’s where Brighton succeeded, having people who’ve covered every corner of the globe in search of the next big talent.

There’s no doubt Levy has the financial capabilities to employ top-tier recruitment staff, so in our view that could be an approach to take if he’s reluctant to spend lots of money on Spurs transfers.

The 2022 summer transfer window saw Newcastle United splash the cash to snap up Real Sociedad sensation Alexander Isak, with the Swedish striker joining for a club-record fee of around £63m last August.

Despite the initial excitement surrounding that deal, it has proven a rather frustrating start to life at St James’ Park so far for the 23-year-old, with injury having cruelly denied the towering marksman the chance to establish himself in the team.

The former Borussia Dortmund ace has so far been restricted to just five appearances in the Premier League for the Magpies this season, with only three of those having come from the start, albeit while still scoring three goals in that time.

Amid those struggles, the 6 foot 4 starlet has also been described as ‘too lean’ by pundit Stan Collymore, who wrote in his CaughtOffside column that he has doubts over whether Isak – or fellow Magpies forward Callum Wilson – can truly be relied upon to deliver the goods for the Tynesiders.

The former Liverpool striker stated: ‘They both have their own attributes to offer, but I’m just not sure either player is the type to wear the iconic number nine shirt and bag 20-plus goals a season.’

Newcastle may well be ruing their inability to secure another centre-forward target last summer, with Italian outlet Corriere dello Sport having only recently revealed (via Sport Witness) that Newcastle had seen a bid of around €100m (£89m) rebuffed for Napoli’s Victor Osimhen.

That potential transfer blunder will no doubt rankle with Eddie Howe and co, such has been the Nigerian’s rampant run of form so far this season, having appeared almost “unstoppable” for the runaway Serie A leaders according to journalist Mimi Fawaz.

An undisputed “goal machine” – as previously lauded by the Evening Standard’s Nizaar Kinsella – the 24-year-old has helped power Luciano Spalletti’s side to the summit this term, scoring 16 goals in just 17 league games.

While the former Lille marksman’s goal conversion rate of 23% is lower than Isak’s (30%), Osimhen also provides the benefit of his creativity in attack, having chipped in with three assists in the Italian top flight, while the current Magpies forward has none to his name so far this season.

Although it may be somewhat difficult to compare the two due to Isak’s injury woes, their differing form is also illustrated by the fact that, while the Swede has an average Sofascore match rating of just 6.78 in the current campaign, Osimhen boasts a far more impressive rating of 7.28.

The latter has seemingly enjoyed a fruitful spell wherever he has been in his career to date – after bagging 18 goals in just 38 games during his time in France, and 20 goals in 36 games for Belgian outfit Charleroi – with it looking as if the top-four hopefuls missed out on a player who is almost guaranteed to fire.

Of course, there is still ample opportunity for Isak to earn a consistent run in the team and prove his worth, although at present the inability to secure a deal for Osimhen may well be a sore point for Newcastle.

Leeds United owner Andrea Radrizzani and manager Jesse Marsch both need to leave the club if they want to reach the next level, Simon Jordan has sensationally claimed.

What’s the word?

Leeds currently sit 14th in the Premier League, but are just two points clear of the relegation zone.

They are set to complete the £35m signing of Georginio Rutter from Hoffenheim and may look to complete further January deals following the arrival of Maximillian Wober from Red Bull Salzburg.

Although Marsch has come in for criticism at times since he replaced Marcelo Bielsa last year, he did keep Leeds up last season and has masterminded some impressive results, including a 3-0 win over Chelsea.

However, Jordan claimed on TalkSPORT that the American is not the coach who can take Leeds up a level, if they want to increase their ambition and qualify for European football.

“With Leeds, I think they’re an ownership model away from being a seriously competing football club again,” he stated.

“I think if they stay in the Premier League, then we might see that ownership model change.

“He (Radrizzani) has got themselves back into the Premier League, he hasn’t spent an enormous amount of money to compete there. Andrea’s done a great job getting Leeds back into the Premier League, I do think there is an ownership model change that needs to happen.”

“I think Leeds are a management decision away from being a bigger football club, because I don’t think Jesse Marsch has got the chops, I think the ownership model will change and I think you’ll see Leeds kick up a gear.”

Is Marsch holding Leeds back?

Marsch has done well to bring a number of young players to the club, and help the talent in his squad thrive, which bodes well for the future.

His signings have been impressive for the most part, with the likes of Tyler Adams and Brendan Aaronson arriving having worked under him before, and given the injuries the squad have suffered, it would be unfair to put a large amount of blame on him. The latter is second for dribbles per game and key passes per game, whilst Adams averages the most passes per game, the fourth highest pass percentage, as well as the second most tackles per game with four (WhoScored).

However, if Leeds were able to secure a top-quality coach in the same way some of their league rivals have, then there is a fair argument to be made that they can help Leeds propel up the table.

Wolves and Aston Villa have hired experienced winners in Julen Lopetegui and Unai Emery, and if Leeds were to take a gamble and replace Marsch, it could be worthwhile if they can secure someone of a similar stature underneath owners who were willing to fund big signings.

Arsenal have made a €70million (£62m) offer for Shakhtar Donetsk star and long-time transfer target Mykhaylo Mudryk, according to Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: Mudryk Arsenal’s main target

The 22-year-old has been the Gunners’ primary transfer target in recent weeks, as they look the get a deal over the line during the January transfer window.

Chelsea have also emerged as potential contenders to sign Mudryk but Arsenal have felt like the front-runners and the player himself seemingly wants to move to north London.

Now, another key update has emerged, as Arteta looks to seal a significant piece of business.

The Latest: Big-money offer made

Writing on Twitter on Thursday night, Romano claimed that Arsenal have submitted a roughly €70million (£62m) for Mudryk, with ‘negotiations ongoing’:

“EXCL: Arsenal new official proposal for Mykhaylo Mudryk is close to €70m fee plus add-ons, submitted tonight as revealed earlier.

“Negotiations ongoing with Shakhtar Donetsk to discuss on the add-ons package. No issues on personal terms, Mudryk wants the move.”

Not only that, but the Ukrainian posted on Instagram with a praying emoji, further suggesting that he hopes the bid is accepted.

The Verdict: Matter of time?

It does feel like a matter of time until Shakhtar eventually cave in to Arsenal, with Mudryk clearly so keen on joining an exciting revolution under Arteta.

The forward looks like a special prospect with a massive future, having been tipped to be a future Ballon d’Or winner by current Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi.

Mudryk registered five goal contributions (three goals and two assists) in six games in this Champions League group stage and he could be an exceptional signing by Arsenal, dovetailing to perfection with the likes of Martin Odegaard, Bukayo Sako and Gabriel Martinelli, operating predominantly as a left-sided attacker this season.

If Mudryk comes in, it could even be that Arteta uses Martinelli down the middle in place of Eddie Nketiah, despite the latter’s good recent form, in order to fit their new signing into the team.

Chelsea are reportedly finalising a move for AS Monaco defender Benoit Badiashile, according to a report from Football Insider on Wednesday.

The Lowdown: Fofana in

The Blues have made a head start on their January business by reaching a pre-agreement with Molde FK for young forward David Datro Fofana.

Teenage midfielder Andrey Santos also appears to be on the way with an agreement reached with Vasco da Gama, and it seems as if a third addition may be imminent with Badiashile.

The Latest: Badiashile next?

FI reporter Pete O’Rourke shared an update regarding Badiashile in the last 24 hours, revealing that the Blues are in advanced talks to sign the 21-year-old.

Chelsea are thought to be finalising a transfer for the Adidas-sponsored star and are confident of completing a move as soon as the transfer window opens.

The Verdict: Good news

Stamford Bridge officials aren’t hanging around when it comes to 2023 additions, and it seems as if it could be three signed relatively quickly in the New Year.

You’d say that Badiashile is the marquee name out of the three potential arrivals, with the defender having 135 games of senior experience under his belt for Monaco at the age of 21.

He’ll give Graham Potter another high-quality option at the back and could be the answer both in the short and long run, making it an exciting deal.