"You'd rather sell him for £100m than see him leave for free" - Glen Johnson makes bold transfer claim involving 24-year-old Chelsea superstar

Chelsea have been told to cash in on Mason Mount if they are getting £100 million for him. Glen Johnson believes it is better to sell the midfielder if he is not signing a new contract.

Mount's current deal at Stamford Bridge expires in 2024 and talks over a new contract have stalled. The Blues are ready to cash in on their star midfielder if he does not sign a new deal in the summer.

However, Johnson believes the price has to be at least £100 million for one of the rivals to sign him. He told Betfred:

"The clock is ticking and Chelsea need to be bold regarding the business side of it. This whole situation regarding Mason being linked with a couple of Premier League clubs seems like a bit of a bluff tactic to me."

The former Blues defender added:

"The longer it goes without Mason signing a new deal, then Mason's position will continue to get stronger and the club knows that, so I think Chelsea wouldn't want to sell him to a Premier League side. But if it gets to the end of the summer transfer window and he's still not signed a new deal, then they will have to sell him to a rival Premier League club because they can't risk the prospect of letting him go on a free."

He claimed that the Blues can sell for £100 million and said:

"In 2024, if Mason's contract does expire, then he'd probably go to a rival Premier League club on a free anyway. If he doesn't sign a new deal, then Chelsea may as well bite the bullet and take the money for him because you'd rather sell him for £100m, than see him leave for free.

"The club will probably try and do the best deal they can this summer, in terms of selling him for good money or getting him to re-sign. They can't risk letting him leave for free."

Why has Mason Mount not signed a new contract at Chelsea?

Mason Mount has reportedly been offered a long-term deal, but the midfielder is reluctant to accept it.

He wants a five-six-year contract, similar to Reece James, instead of a seven-year deal.

Some reports claimed that the Chelsea star was demanding £300,000 per week, but that has been rebuffed by reputable sources.