Chelsea make ‘positive breakthrough’ in Mason Mount contract talks ... well, sort of — report

Someone at Chelsea saw the recent story from the Daily Mail, which claimed that Mason Mount’s contract negotiations had reached a stalemate (though that they also would be continuing after the World Cup), and saw it necessary to let it be known that there is no stalemate. In fact, there’s been a breakthrough.

Well, of sorts. Not all the way. A breakthrough-ish. A break-not-quite-through. A break-partway-through? A break-just don’t call it a stalemate, would ya? Through.

The Athletic’s report, citing anonymous club sources supposedly risking their jobs in bringing us this Bothan Spies-level information, claims that “a positive breakthrough has been made” — as opposed to a negative breakthrough? — that “a significant step had been taken” and that “things could be concluded after another scheduled meeting takes place in January and that Mount will sign then”. So another meeting would indeed be needed since the current one did not in fact produce an agreement. Amazing how that works. Science!

You might also be completely unsurprised that the reason for continuing negotiations are disagreements over wages and contract length, with Mount wanting to maximize the former and dial back the latter, while the club want to minimize the former (or at least incentivize) and dial up the latter. It’s unclear if this “positive breakthrough” resulted in either of these major points of contention actually getting resolved, or if the breakthrough wasn’t quite that positive, or even an actual breakthrough. Just don’t call it a stalemate!

The report concludes that the new year “should” bring more good news and optimism, and maybe even an actual breakthrough.