Liverpool lead race to sign £240,000/week star and can use club's financial fiasco against them

Liverpool are leading the race to sign Mason Mount and he could perfectly replace Georginio Wijnaldum, whose departure left a gap in Jurgen Klopp's midfield.

This hole in the engine room has not been adequately fixed with owners FSG widely accused of not investing heavily enough to continue the team's growth at a key juncture.

According to the Mirror, Liverpool "are very keen" on signing Mount this summer as they look to bounce back from a disappointing season.

The Reds are 7th in the Premier League, stranded 21 points behind league-leaders Arsenal. Tottenham, who occupy 4th, are still 9 points ahead.

Chelsea, however, are struggling more than the usual high performers. They languish in 10th and are 14 points outside the Champions League qualification places.

The Blues have been the subject of huge scrutiny in the wake of their enormous spending under Todd Boehly. Since taking charge of Chelsea, he has sanctioned over £600m in fees.

Mount, who could move to Liverpool in the summer, would fetch a pretty price and would help alleviate some of the financial pressure that Chelsea find themselves under.

While all of Chelsea's transfer spending has been by the book, they will need to sell a few players at the end of the season.

Mount's contract negotiations with the Stamford Bridge outfit have stalled, opening the door for the likes of Liverpool to swoop in this summer.

The midfielder is demanding £240,000 per week - a huge increase on his current £80,000/week wages. According to 90Min, Man City, Man United, Newcastle United and Liverpool have all shown a desire to sign Mount.

Adding him to the Liverpool midfield would be the right step in the direction as he bears many of the hallmarks that Georginio Wijnaldum did before he joined the Reds.

Many forget but before he moved to Liverpool, the Dutchman operated mostly on the left wing or as a no.10. It was Klopp who converted him into one of the most efficient no.8s in the world.

Past success isn't necessarily an indicator of future success, but the German coach is renowned for getting the best out of his players.

The 2022/23 season is another freak season ruined by injuries but there is no getting away from the neglect shown in the transfer market.

Arthur Melo and Fabio Carvalho are the only midfielders to join Liverpool since Wijnaldum left. The former has been injured the whole season and the latter has been barely used by Klopp.

It's safe to say that the quality needed at Anfield is not present. The club is trying to sign Jude Bellingham and, by all indications, Mount is a key target too.

Adding the pair of them and another midfielder like Matheus Nunes could be the base on which Klopp builds his next great team.