By Tam McManus

5th Apr, 2023 | 8:00am

Pundit drops 'crazy' Mason Mount claim after Chelsea source's transfer reveal

Chelsea won’t feel pressured to meet Mason Mount’s ‘crazy’ £250,000-a-week wage demands at Stamford Bridge.

That is the opinion of former Hibernian striker Tam McManus, who spoke exclusively to Football Insider about Mount’s ongoing contract talks with Chelsea.

Mount has been locked in talks over a new deal for months, with his current contract set to expire in 2024.

However, the two parties are yet to agree terms, with Mount‘s wage demands supposedly slowing down any potential agreement.

Football Insider revealed on Saturday (1 April) that Liverpool are edging closer to agreeing a deal with Mount as Chelsea aren’t willing to meet his £250,000-a-week demands.

It is understood that Chelsea have offered Mount a new deal worth £180,000-per-week, but the 24-year-old attacking midfielder is holding out for a contract that puts him among the club’s highest earners.

McManus believes other Premier League clubs are willing to match Mount’s demands and therefore he is ‘pushing the boat out’ at Stamford Bridge.

“I think if Mount doesn’t get his wage demands at Chelsea he’ll get them elsewhere instead,” McManus told Football Insider.

“I think he’s a very, very good player – still young at 24 years old.

“But Chelsea have so many good midfield players, so many attacking midfield players that they won’t feel pressured to meet his demands.

“They have a huge squad and aren’t afraid to go out and buy new players at any time.

“But I think if he does decide to leave Chelsea, I don’t think he’d be short of options.

“There are a lot of big clubs interested in him, so I think he’s pushing the boat out knowing he’ll get a pay rise one way or another.

“The money is crazy, demanding £250,000 a week just shows how crazy it’s gotten.“

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