Helsea plan to tie Mason Mount and Edouard Mendy to new contracts after securing the future of Reece James on a lucrative, long-term deal. James last week signed a six-year contract worth £250,000-a-week and Chelsea’s new owners have made talks with Mount and Mendy one of their next priorities. There have been tentative talks between co-owner Todd Boehly and Mount, who has two years left on his current deal and is set to become one of the club’s top earners. Mount has yet to be presented with a formal offer but is happy at Stamford Bridge and there is hope that a deal can be reached for the England midfielder. James’ new contract was completed in unusually quick time, after talks over a two-week period, but negotiations for Mount and Mendy are expected to take longer.
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Mendy’s case is more complicated and the Senegal goalkeeper has already rejected an initial offer from Chelsea, who open their Champions League campaign away to Dinamo Zagreb tonight. The 30-year-old is said to have been offered inferior terms to back-up Kepa Arrizabalaga, who negotiated his £190,000-a-week contract when he joined for £71m in 2018. Mendy is currently among the lowest earners at Chelsea, with his current deal running until 2025. Recent mistakes against Leeds and West Ham have led to criticism of his recent performances, but manager Thomas Tuchel backed his No1 after Saturday’s 2-1 win over the Hammers at Stamford Bridge. “I think it’s a very sensitive position in football in general – and it’s not just purely qualitative and just a matter of decision-making,” Tuchel said. “It’s also the feeling and the feeling of being confident and sometimes it’s a little bit of luck as well. Edward Mendy is one of Chelsea’s lowest earners. / AFP via Getty Images “Someone sent me an interesting quote about Napoleon, who asked his generals whether they should not only have the best quality, but also need to be lucky generals. “Well, that’s what you need from leaders and goalkeepers as well, and for them to have the momentum that if they make a small mistake, it’s not punished. Now, he gets punished a lot for not much of what he does wrong, but there’s no doubt in my mind. “The situation is calm. We have two fantastic goalkeepers, two fantastic lads. We know that [Mendy] is in such a state, but first, we deal with the interior and then we tell you.” The futures of Jorginho and N’Golo Kante are also a priority for Chelsea, with both players in the final year of their contracts. At this stage it is not clear whether any players will sign a new contract and they will be able to talk to interested foreign clubs from January.
