Chelsea Transfer News Roundup: Mason Mount wants Liverpool move; club not planning to offload Ben Chilwell, and more - March 9, 2023

Chelsea have temporarily arrested their recent slide after picking up two back-to-back wins in the league and UEFA Champions League. Graham Potter will now look to build on the momentum as he prepares to face Leicester City on Saturday (March 11) in the league.

Meanwhile, Mason Mount reportedly wants to join Liverpool. Elsewhere, journalist Simon Phillips has said that the Blues are not looking to offload Ben Chilwell this summer.

On that note, here's a look at the key Chelsea transfer stories as on March 9, 2023:

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Mason Mount wants Liverpool move

Mason Mount has admirers at Anfield.

Mason Mount wants to join Liverpool this summer, according to Football Transfers. The English midfielder is in the final 18 months of his Chelsea contract but hasn't put pen to paper on a new deal.

The 24-year-old is ready to take up a new challenge this summer, and the Reds are planning to take advantage of the situation.

Liverpool are expected to bolster their midfield at the end of the season, with the current crop failing to convince this season.

Mount is already proven in the Premier League and could be a fabulous addition to Jurgen Klopp’s squad. The Blues might be forced to put him up for sale unless contract talks improve.

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Chelsea not planning to offload Ben Chilwell

Ben Chilwell has admirers at the Etihad.

Chelsea have no desire to offload Ben Chilwell this summer, according to Ben Jacobs. The English left-back has been linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge, with Manchester City reportedly eyeing him as Joao Cancelo's replacement.

However, speaking to Give Me Sport, Phillips said that Graham Potter likes Chilwell.

"Right now, he's their first-choice left-back. He's keeping (Marc) Cucurella out of the team, and Graham Potter obviously likes him. He's just come back from injury, so I do expect him to grow back into that role and get even better as well. Situation's can always change. but right now, Chelsea don't have any intention of selling Ben Chilwell," said Phillips.

The 26-year-old has registered one goal and three assists in 20 games across competitions this season for the London giants.

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Jonathan Johnson opens up on Benoit Badiashile move

Benoit Badiashile has hit the ground running since arriving at Stamford Bridge in January.

Journalist Jonathan Johnson reckons Benoit Badiashile could be influential for Chelsea in the future. The French defender joined the Blues from Monaco in January this year and has been quietly impressive.

In his column for Caught Offside, Johnson said that Badiashile was unlucky to be left out of the club's UEFA Champions League squad this season.

"Benoit Badiashile has really impressed me with the way he’s started at Chelsea. He’s performed really well when he’s played, but it’s not been the perfect start at Chelsea because I don’t think he’ll have expected not to be part of their Champions League squad, which can only contain three signings made in the middle of the season," wrote Johnson.

He added:

"Personally I think that might have been a bit short-sighted by Chelsea, but, of course, they’re now into the quarterfinals, so let’s wait and see how Graham Potter fares in the competition. It wouldn’t have been easy leaving out Joao Felix, Mykhaylo Mudryk or Enzo Fernandez either, but I do think Badiashile would have been a valuable addition to the squad."

Jonathan went on to say that Chelsea's focus on youth helped the club pip the likes of Liverpool and Manchester United in the race for Badiashile.

"In terms of links with other Premier League clubs like Liverpool and Manchester United, I think Chelsea’s focus on recruiting some of the best young talents in Europe at the moment for a project that will be medium to long term at the very least, I think that proved very attractive to Badiashile," wrote Johnson

He continued:

"Chelsea are also offering famously long contracts to their players in order to make the overall transfer value a bit lower. So I think Badiashile was won over by Chelsea, and he’s proven a shrewd piece of business. He still looked like he had room for improvement at Monaco, but he’s progressing well, and I think he’s going to be an influential player for them for a long time.”

The 21-year-old has appeared five times in the league since his move to Stamford Bridge in January.