Joe Cole is baffled by speculation linking Mason Mount with a move away from Chelsea and has urged his former club to offer the midfielder a contract extension.
Mount will likely surpass 200 appearances for Chelsea before the end of the season, having played at least 30 games for the Blues in every campaign since 2019-20.
The 24-year-old is not enjoying his best season at Stamford Bridge, though, and was dropped for the recent Premier League fixture against West Ham and Champions League tie at Borussia Dortmund.
Mount is in the final 18 months of his current contract at Chelsea but talks over a new deal have stalled and reportedly been postponed until the summer.
That has sparked speculation that Chelsea could decide to cash in on the England star at the end of the season, with Premier League rivals Liverpool and Manchester United among the teams interested in a deal.
But Cole remains a huge fan of Mount and says Chelsea ‘need to remember what a great player he is’ and offer him a new contract.
He told 90min: ‘Mason Mount is probably sitting there thinking, “I have performed for this club for three or four years now, I won the Champions League, I’ve been pushed forward in every campaign…”
‘He’s a leader, he sacrifices himself for the team. He wants to stay at Chelsea, I’m sure he does.
‘I don’t for the life of me understand, and I don’t know the dealings – they’re probably far apart on where they’re valuing each other. He probably thinks: “Where do I sit?”
‘He’s out the team now, which is a dangerous position to be in for Mason and for Chelsea. Football is very fickle, we can forget what a good player Mason Mount is.
‘Even more so in this generation, players go away for three or four weeks and they’re forgotten. I think Chelsea need to remember what a great player he is. He will come good.
‘[A contract renewal] would be at the top of my list for Chelsea. There must be some middle ground to solve it.’
Mount returned to Chelsea’s starting XI last weekend but was unable to prevent Graham Potter’s side from suffering a hugely disappointing 1-0 defeat to bottom-placed Southampton.
The Blues, just 10th in the Premier League table, make the short trip to north London on Sunday to face Tottenham.
MORE : Graham Potter gives injury update on Chelsea trio ahead of Tottenham clash
MORE : Andy Townsend still has major doubts over Chelsea star: ‘I just don’t see it’
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