Chelsea have been told to consider the future transfers of Mason Mount and Conor Gallagher to avoid losing the 'soul' at the club.
The Blues have encountered a mass overhaul of the squad since Todd Boehly completed his £4.25bn takeover in May. Despite the number of signings, the 2022/23 season has proved to be a difficult one on the field with Graham Potter's side sat in 10th in the Premier League table.
Eight new faces were purchased in the January transfer window, with the club smashing their transfer record on deadline day to sign Enzo Fernandez. As comes with most periods of heavy spending, the futures of the current crop of stars have been placed into further doubt.
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Chelsea are facing a difficult period in the next 18 months that sees a number of first team regulars reaching the end of their current deals at Stamford Bridge. At the end of next season, seven senior players will become free agents - including Mason Mount, Christian Pulisic and Mateo Kovacic.
The trio have been linked with moves away ahead of the summer transfer window amid complications over a new deal. Mount, who has been a main-stay in the Chelsea squad since breaking into the team in 2019, is one predicament that has widely been reported on recently.
It's said that negotiations on a new deal for Mount have been paused after the two parties failed to agree on a solution. The England international reportedly wants to become one of the highest earners in SW6.
The future of Gallagher has also been in doubt after he was linked with a move away from the club in January, with Everton reportedly keen. The midfielder, 23, has struggled to cement a place in Potter's side this season, despite impressing on loan at Crystal Palace last season.
Now, former Arsenal striker Paul Merson has warned the club that they risk losing its soul by allowing the two Cobham graduates to leave the club and has questioned whether the new players have improved the squad. "I want him [Potter] to stay," Merson told Sportskeeda.
“I'm not sure if he's the one bringing these players in. I'm watching these players and I wonder whether these signings are better than the players they've got.
“They are absolutely not. So why are they buying these players? They might very well offload players like Mason Mount and Conor Gallagher and profit off their sales because they are academy graduates. And then suddenly, they'll figure out that the club has lost its soul.”
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