Chelsea reject Man Utd opening bid for Mason Mount

The Mason Mount transfer saga has officially kicked off after Manchester United launched an opening bid for the highly sought-after England international.

However, according to the Telegraph, their offer has been swiftly rejected by Chelsea, who are in no mood to budge on the player’s valuation.

The formal offer is worth a reported £40 million, but the Blues are holding out for a fee closer to £70m, which Man United consider too high for a player with one year remaining on his contract.

Mount is a priority target for United and they plan to return with a second bid, but they will not be bullied into overpaying for Mount’s services.

Despite their hard-headed approach regarding Mount’s price tag, Chelsea will have to choose between lowering their demands or losing him on a free transfer with 12 months left on his current deal.

The Blues need to sell this summer to balance their books after recklessly splurging over the previous two transfer windows, and Mount could be the first through the Stamford Bridge exit.

Liverpool were also interested in Mount after snapping up Alexis Mac Allister from Brighton & Hove Albion, but they have pulled out of the race to focus on other targets.

With Arsenal focused on signing Kai Havertz, Man United have a free run at Mount’s signature, but they will have to increase their offer to convince Chelsea into doing business.

Chelsea are open to resuming contract talks with Mount, but Man United are confident the 24-year-old will not sign a new deal with the Blues.

Financial reasons are understood to not be behind Mount’s reluctance to commit his future to the club, but Chelsea’s failure to qualify for any European competitions could be a major factor.

Mauricio Pochettino is reportedly desperate to keep Mount as he considers the Englishman a key part of his plans for next season. 

However, it is unclear whether the Argentine would prefer to sell him rather than keep a player in the final year of his contract.