Todd Boehly holds direct talks with Chelsea superstar amid interest from Liverpool and Manchester United: Reports

Chelsea owner Todd Boehly has reportedly held direct talks with midfielder Mason Mount to try and convince him to stay at Stamford Bridge. The midfielder has stalled contract talks with the Blues and has been linked with Liverpool and Manchester United.

As per a report in The Athletic, Boehly has taken a personal interest in getting Mount to sign a new deal at the club. He wants the Englishman to stay at Stamford Bridge as he sees him as a key part of their future plans.

The 24-year-old has stalled contract talks over the past few months as he wants a shorter deal. The midfielder is refusing to sign a long-term deal that would see him enter his 30s on the same contract.

Liverpool and Manchester United are looking to take advantage of the situation and lure him away. Arsenal and Manchester City have also been linked, while Newcastle United and Bayern Munich are also said to be keeping tabs.

Joe Cole wants Chelsea to keep Mason Mount

Former England international Joe Cole has urged Chelsea to offer Mason Mount the contract he wants and sign him up for the future. He believes the midfielder has earned a new deal and his demands should be fulfilled.

He was talking to 90Min when he said:

"Mason Mount is probably sitting there thinking: 'I have performed for this club for three or four years now, I won the Champions League, I've been pushed forward in every campaign...'. He's a leader, he sacrifices himself for the team. He wants to stay at Chelsea, I'm sure he does. I don't for the life of me understand, and I don't know the dealings - they're probably far apart on where they're valuing each other. He probably thinks: 'Where do I sit?'"

Cole added:

"He's out the team now, which is a dangerous position to be in for Mason and for Chelsea. Football is very fickle, we can forget what a good player Mason Mount is. Even more so in this generation, players go away for three or four weeks and they're forgotten. I think Chelsea need to remember what a great player he is. He will come good. [A contract renewal] would be the top of my list. There must be some middle ground to solve it."

Mount will enter the final 12 months of his current contract this summer.