Speaking exclusively to Sky Sports, Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount hopes to sit down and discuss a new Blues contract over the next couple of months; "I've got two years but I'm extremely happy at this club. I've been here since six years old."
Tuesday 19 July 2022 15:02, UK
Mason Mount is looking forward to prolonging his Chelsea career by signing a new contract at Stamford Bridge ahead of a big tilt at winning the Premier League title this coming season.
The England midfielder's current deal expires in June 2024, but Mount admits he is already preparing for talks with new owner Todd Boehly over the coming months as the 23-year-old looks to commit his long-term future to the club he joined as a boy at Cobham.
Chelsea finished third in the Premier League last term and missed out on domestic silverware as they were beaten on penalties by Liverpool in both the League Cup and FA Cup - but Mount is targeting further honours over the coming campaign for club and country.
When asked about his forthcoming plans for the new season, Mount was open about his contract situation, telling Sky Sports: "I've got two years but I'm extremely happy at this club. I've been here since six years old, so I think maybe over the next couple of months the talks will start, so obviously it's exciting.
"Every new year is special. I didn't get to go away on a pre-season tour last season so to come here (Los Angeles) has been brilliant to get back at it. All the boys have been buzzing, a really good feel around the group and to get back training and working hard that's what we want to do. We've got a massive season coming up.
"After every year I feel I'm definitely getting older, more experienced, I still feel young but I need to step up and be a leader. As I play quite a lot of games and I am experienced for my age to be able to speak to the younger boys because I've been there and done that... to give them confidence when they come and train because it can be difficult when you come away on a pre-season tour.
"But I was just saying to them do what you do, you don't need to do anything special, just play what your game is and you'll definitely impress the manager. That's the advice I'd give and to try to make them feel welcome.
"Of course, winning the title is always the goal, that's always my goal personally you want to win the Premier League. It's very tough to do that because you have to be so consistent throughout. We started last season very well and we were in a good position and then you lose a few games, drop a few points and you're third and it happens so quickly. We experienced that last season and probably the last three so now it's something we need to change."
Reassuring the Boehly-Clearlake consortium and Chelsea supporters that he wants to stay at the club comes as a huge boost with less than a month to go before the start of the new season.
Mount's stock has risen since he agreed his current deal three years ago but the England international knows improvements will be required in every department if Chelsea are to claw back the 19-point gap to defending champions Manchester City.
Winning the Club World Cup and European Super Cup last term meant it wasn't an entirely fruitless first full season under Thomas Tuchel, but the ambitious Mount is hungry for more with England also preparing for the Qatar World Cup which starts in November.
"Every single season you want to do more," he adds. "You want to win more so for me personally setting higher goals and us a team we won two good trophies last season and it could have been four. So we want to step up, keep going. We're a team and club that win things with that winning mentality. I can definitely see us pushing on and wanting to be successful next season.
"You have to be so on it every single game. It's 100 points to win the league and even then it's very tight and coming down to the last game. It's very difficult and that's why it's the best league in the world. You want to play in that competition, you want to have those battles with the teams that are up there. That's what makes the games against those teams so big. We have to be ready for that."
"Numbers-wise I think last season was my best, especially at Chelsea [Mount was top for goal involvements registering 13 goals and 16 assists]. It was a focus of mine before the season to really kick on in that front and be able to make myself a threat going forward.
"The season before that I felt I really excelled off the ball, working hard and being someone within the team winning balls back and pressing from the front and last season it was a focus of mine to really up the numbers and be up there goals and assists wise. I set goals before the season and I managed to reach them. For me it was a good season.
"Overall, performance-wise it could have been better, I could have had better performances throughout the whole season but I was happy with it and now you look forward to the next."
The Boehly-led consortium completed a £4.25billion takeover of Chelsea in late May, ending Roman Abramovich's 19-year ownership of the club.
The new owners are "committed to investing in key areas that will extend and enhance Chelsea's competitiveness, including the redevelopment of Stamford Bridge, further investment in the academy, the women's team and Kingsmeadow stadium," adding they will "continue the important work of the Chelsea Foundation".
With the first-team squad also under development, there is plenty of enthusiasm in the Chelsea air - and Mount revealed the new owner has already spoken to the players about what he expects.
"He's been very close ever since it got announced," he adds. "Before I came back most of the consortium were at the training ground and around the boys and the coaching staff, which is obviously good to see and starting to build bonds and be very close. It's only the beginning but it's very exciting for us and we're looking forward to what the future holds.
"To have that long reign under Roman, it's changed very quickly, it's a new start, you have to get used to it very quickly and they've been brilliant so far, come in and filled us with a lot of confidence. Us as players we've always focused on what we can do on the pitch but it fills you with confidence when you know everything's under control away from the pitch.
"There's a lot going on with every club and that's what makes the Premier League exciting. Every season you don't know which team is going to be pushing, which team is going to be really strong until the first game. We're excited and we focus on what's going on here within the club and doing what we can on the football pitch to be ready for that first game but I'm buzzing, I'm excited it's another season and we're ready."
The new season pauses for the World Cup in Qatar after 16 rounds of Premier League action so the players heading to the tournament will face a new challenge this time around.
It is one Mount is ready to take in his stride.
"It's going to be weird to stop around Christmas time and carry on after it. We'll see how it goes. We're so excited and looking forward to what the World Cup is going to bring. There's such a buzz around the country, especially after what happened last Euros. I feel like it's going to be a good one. But for us as players it's going to be a long old season.
"You need a strong start. You want to go into the World Cup feeling good and playing well as a team. Hopefully that's the case. We've got a few England boys in this group, an American boy in this group as well who is going to be in our group, so it's going to be exciting. We just need to stay strong as a team."
Chelsea kick off their 2022/23 season with a trip to Frank Lampard's Everton live on Sky Sports before hosting London rivals Spurs in their first home game.
Thomas Tuchel's side face a reunion with Blues legend Lampard at Goodison Park on August 6, kick-off 5.30pm, before Tottenham visit Stamford Bridge a week later.
Chelsea will host Liverpool in West London on September 17, Manchester United on October 22 and Arsenal on November 5.
Their final fixture before the month-long break for the World Cup is away at Newcastle, and they continue their campaign on Boxing Day against newly-promoted Bournemouth.
Chelsea travel to Tottenham on February 25 and Arsenal on April 29, with the latter the start of a bumper last five games including Manchester City away on the penultimate weekend of the season and Newcastle at home on the final day.
Sky Sports News' senior reporter Melissa Reddy:
Chelsea are pressing ahead with their summer recruitment plans now that the £4.25bn Todd Boehly-led consortium takeover of the club has been completed.
The Blues have a verbal agreement already in place with Sevilla defender Jules Kounde. Talks on a deal for Kounde had collapsed last year but there is optimism from all parties it will get done this time.
Paris Saint-Germain's Presnel Kimpembe is part of a shortlist of central defensive options and is Thomas Tuchel's preference. Atletico Madrid's Jose Gimenez and RB Leipzig's Josko Gvardiol are also among those being looked at.
