Former Chelsea defender Glen Johnson has insisted the Blues would rather sell midfielder Mason Mount for £100m than see him leave Stamford Bridge for a free.
Mount Chelsea is likely to leave this summer transfer window after talks between his representatives and the west London club hit a wall over a contract extension.
The England World Cup star has 18 months left on his current contract with Chelsea, and has made it clear he would prefer to stay at the club.
But Johnson believes Mount is best sold if he does not sign a new contract.
“Time is ticking and Chelsea need to be bold about the business side of it,” Johnson told Betfred.
He added: “In 2024, if Mason’s contract expires, he will probably go to a rival Premier League club for free anyway. If he doesn’t sign a new deal, Chelsea might also bite the bullet and take the money for him because you’d rather sell him for £100m.” Sterling, rather than see him leave for free.
“The club will probably try to do the best deal they can this summer, in terms of selling him for good money or getting him to re-sign. They can’t take the risk of letting him leave for free.”
Premier League: An update on Mason Mount’s future with Chelsea has been revealed
