Chelsea news and transfers LIVE: Kylian Mbappe dig, Mason Mount alternative, Lukaku hint

Manchester United are pushing to sign Mason Mount this summer from Chelsea.

But Erik ten Hag’s side have reportedly identified Leicester midfielder James Maddison as an alternative if they are unable to persuade Chelsea to sell.

The Sun (via the Metro) state that there are concerns a deal will not be agreed between the two clubs with just a year left on Mount’s contract.

Maddison is in the same contract position as his England teammate, but with Leicester relegated he could be a far cheaper option for the Red Devils.

In 2018 Paris Saint-Germain officially signed Kylian Mbappe on a permanent transfer having loaned the teenage sensation from Monaco in 2017 first. By the time he signed the deal that would keep him in the French capital until 2024 he became the second most expensive player ever.

For £154 milllion, PSG signed a player that would go on to become a double World Cup golden boot winner, Champions League finalist, club record scorer and two-time World Cup finalist. Before Mbappe has even turned 25 he has achieved feats that would make him a legend of the game for years to come.

His name is always shrouded in controversy, though. Across the six years he has now been in the French capital there have been four managers, three of them are well-known faces to Premier League managers. The fact that Mbappe alone hasn’t been able to propel any of them to European glory is a point of frustration.

Not only has his work off the ball resulted in the frustration of new Chelsea coach Mauricio Pochettino during his career, but the addition of Mbappe may have lost PSG their chance to form a more cohesive unit. With Neymar and Lionel Messi in the last two years they have had a star-studded attack but not always a connected one.

Their stars have stacked up remarkable numbers but have not gone on to have the level of success in Europe that many would have predicted for players with their quality. Tactical shortcomings when against the best sides has been a consistent issue for Mbappe and even France aren’t always able to make up for his work rate. As Chelsea prepare themselves for Pochettino, they can make a PSG dream become reality at Stamford Bridge.

Read on here.

The Real Madrid Galacticos might just be back. After revamping the midfield last year with Eduardo Camavinga and Aurelien Tchouameni, the backline has already had its average age reduced with Antonio Rudiger and Eder Militao replacing Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane.

Ferland Mendy is the younger version of Marcelo and the Brazilian stars of Rodrygo and Vinicius Jr – albeit not true Galactico style – have given fresh legs to the attack. The centre of the park is set for a big boost as well when Jude Bellingham signs for an expected monster sum.

He is the latest in a line of younger stars that are rocking the world game. It is still a big-name buy and indicates that Florentino Perez is on the charge. With this in mind even replacing 35-year-old Karim Benzema with Harry Kane would be a sizeable age drop. The Tottenham man is one of the main priorities left to fill the now-vacant starting spot for Los Blancos.

With just over 12 months left on his contract Madrid have the chance to hold their nerve and try to pick him up for free next summer. That could leave them at the mercy of Manchester United and Chelsea, though, who are both watching Kane with interest.

Read on here.

Kylian Mbappe has been speaking about his situation at PSG. He told Gazzetta dello Sport:

“For a player like me, the goal is to win everything. But we know we had some problems at PSG.

“We knew that at Paris Saint-Germain there were shortcomings that sooner or later we were going to end up paying for.

“I didn’t say I wanted to be sold to Real Madrid or want to leave, but only that I won’t activate the option on the extra year. With PSG, there has never been any talk of a renewal. Messi gone? Bad news now needs to be replaced.”

Romelu Lukaku has suggested that he will return to Inter Milan next season in a heartfelt message on social media. The 29-year-old striker faces an increasingly uncertain future at Chelsea, with a move to the Nerazzurri or Saudi Arabia said to be on the cards.

Devastated by his performance in the Champions League final against Manchester City, Lukaku poured his heart out on Instagram and wrote: “First of all thank you to all the Inter fans for the love and support throughout the season.

“You guys stood by us through every moment and personally I want to thank you for that. It wasn’t meant to be. We gave it all. That’s a s*** feeling for all of us that love this beautiful club… But this club has hunger and we will fight to hopefully reach that moment of glory one day.”

Read the full story here.

Manchester United have given Chelsea a huge wakeup call regarding the potential sale of Mason Mount this summer. The 24-year-old midfielder faces an increasingly uncertain future at Stamford Bridge, with his contract expiring in 12-months.

The Red Devils are said to be leading the race to sign Mount, but a disparity in valuations have stalled any progress from being made. With United losing patience, The Sun claim that Erik ten Hag has found an alternative in case a deal cannot be completed – James Maddison.

The 26-year-old midfielder is expected to leave the King Power Stadium in the coming weeks following Leicester City’s relegation from the top-flight. He featured 30 times for the Foxes in the Premier League last season, directly contributing towards 19 goals.

Read the full story here.

Kylian Mbappe has informed Paris Saint-Germain that he doesn’t want to extend his stay in the French capital beyond the end of his contract in 2024. The 24-year-old forward faces an increasingly uncertain future at Les Parc des Princes, with his contract set to expire in 12 months.

And, according to bet365, staying at PSG is the most likely outcome at a very short 1/2. Real Madrid are 11/4 to sign the 24-year-old, ahead of Manchester United at 11/2 and Chelsea at 14/1.

Treble-winners Man City are backed at 33/1, alongside Newcastle, while a move to Saudi Arabia is tipped at 40/1. Liverpool (40/1), Arsenal and Bayern Munich (50/1) are less likely to complete the signing, leaving Real in pole position to complete the blockbuster move.

Read the full story here.

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