AHEAD OF THE GAME: Mason Mount rejects a £200,000 a week contract with Chelsea
AHEAD OF THE GAME: Mason Mount rejects a £200,000-a-week contract with Chelsea as he seeks parity with Raheem Sterling… but both parties remain a long way apart in negotiations
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Mason Mount rejected a new contract at Chelsea worth more than £200,000 a week before flying out to the World Cup, in a calculated gamble that could pay off spectacularly if he enjoys a successful tournament.
Chelsea agreed to put negotiations on hold for the duration of the tournament, but there is unlikely to be a swift breakthrough when they resume after Christmas because the two parties remain a long way apart.
And that gap could increase if Mount continues to impress, as he did in England’s 6-2 win over Iran.
Chelsea’s Mason Mount has rejected a £200,000 a week contract offer from Cheslea
Mount’s representatives are believed to be seeking a contract similar to Raheem Sterling, who was given a £300,000-a-week deal on signing from Manchester City last summer.
Chelsea’s offers to Mount have been considerably lower than that. The Blues had hoped to secure a quick agreement when opening contract talks with Mount and Reece James in September, but whereas the defender agreed a new six-year deal worth £250,000 a week, negotiations with his team-mate have been more protracted.
The England midfielder struggled to make an impact against the USA on Friday
Mount’s apparent reluctance to sign is a concern for Chelsea, because he has just 18 months left on his deal. That will limit his transfer value, despite interest from Liverpool and Juventus.
The 23-year-old is one of the lowest-paid players in Graham Potter’s squad on around £85,000 a week, because he has not signed a contract since shortly after he returned from a loan spell at Derby three years ago, when he had yet to establish himself as a Chelsea first-team regular.
SLOW SPURS LEFT OUT IN THE COLD
Antonio Conte is resigned to enduring a frustrating World Cup break after Tottenham failed to secure a warm-weather training camp.
The Italian had hoped to take his players to the Gulf to prepare for the second half of the season, but Spurs were unable to book accommodation and training facilities that met his precise requirements.
Antonio Conte’s Tottenham have failed to secure warm weather training this winter
Tottenham sources claim Conte is partly culpable for the failure to make a booking, due to his vacillation over what was required. That led to other clubs snapping up the best facilities.
Most Premier League sides are going away later this month, with Dubai and Spain the most popular destinations. West Ham are the only other top-flight club staying in the UK throughout the tournament.
GREEN SHOOTS WEMBLEY BOOST
The FA are hopeful of raising millions of pounds by growing the Wembley pitch off-site for the first time, which will enable them to stage more events at the stadium.
The playing surface at Wembley is replaced twice a year and has traditionally been seeded at the venue, but new technology means it can now be grown elsewhere before being shipped in when the grass is ready.
This development means the FA will be able to host more concerts and other sports fixtures in the spring and autumn, periods which have traditionally been set aside for work on the pitch, providing a major boost to their finances.
The FA is looking to grow the Wembley off-site in an effort to stage more concerts
TON OF TOON STAFF OFF TO SAUDI
Newcastle are planning to take around 100 staff on their midwinter break to Saudi Arabia next month, with a series of meetings planned with the club’s owners.
Eddie Howe took his first-team squad to Jeddah for a training camp last January, but the forthcoming trip to Riyadh is a much bigger operation, with members of the club’s executive, commercial and marketing teams also due to travel. In addition to training, Howe’s side will face Saudi Pro League champions Al-Hilal in a friendly.
WALES CHIEF’S LANGUAGE TEST
FA Wales chief executive Noel Mooney is using any downtime he has at the World Cup to learn Welsh, reflecting the strong sense of national identity among the playing squad and staff. The Irishman only joined the FAW from UEFA in July and has set himself a target of being fluent enough to speak Welsh in public by next summer.
The FAW are also considering changing the name of their national teams from Wales to Cymru, with a decision to be made after the World Cup.
