Paul Merson has said that Chelsea should not allow Mason Mount or N’Golo Kante to leave this summer amid speculation linking the midfield duo with other clubs across Europe.
Mount will be entering the final year of his contract at Stamford Bridge come the summer while Kante could head into free agency should the Blues not trigger an extension to renew his terms.
In his column for Sportskeeda, player-turned-pundit Merson insisted that Chelsea will be looking to trim down their squad size for the incoming head coach Mauricio Pochettino but the club should retain the services of both Mount and Kante.
“After a lorry load of games across all competitions, we still don’t know Chelsea’s best starting XI and we’re at the final game of the season.
“That just sums them up, really. They have too many players and with Mauricio Pochettino set to take over the reins from Frank Lampard, he’s got a massive job on his hands to trim the squad.
“He won’t want to work with 30-odd players, so I think there could be a bit of a fire sale at Stamford Bridge this summer. Two players who shouldn’t be allowed to leave are Mason Mount and N’Golo Kante.
“Chelsea face an uphill battle to finish in the top four next season, so they can’t afford to sell Mount to the likes of Arsenal, Manchester United or Liverpool, as they’d be strengthening one of their rivals. He’s come to a bit of a standstill this season but he was Chelsea’s Player of the Year in 2021 and has a wealth of experience for a 24-year-old.”
Manchester United and Liverpool have been tipped as the frontrunners for Mount’s signature with recent reports suggesting that United had stolen a march in the pursuit of the England midfielder.
Kante, meanwhile, remains a top name on the shopping list for a number of clubs in England and across Europe with the likes of Arsenal and Barcelona keeping tabs on the World Cup winning Frenchman.
