Chelsea to reignite midfielder contract talks after World Cup

Chelsea are planning to restart contract talks with midfielder Mason Mount following the World Cup after encountering a delay in negotiations, 90min understands.

Co-owner Todd Boehly is keen to tie Mount down to a long-term deal as soon as possible and had been hopeful of securing the academy graduate's future before the end of the calendar year, but talks have slowed in recent weeks and will be halted altogether during the World Cup.

Sources with knowledge of the situation have confirmed to 90min that the two parties are not significantly apart in their demands but progress has not been as quick as Chelsea had expected - unlike with right-back Reece James, whose own long-term contract was thrashed out in December.

There are not understood to be any major issues in the negotiations and both Chelsea and Mount remain optimistic that an extension will be agreed in the near future, but the two parties have agreed to postpone all negotiations until after Mount returns from Qatar.

The 23-year-old is currently contracted until 2024 so there is no urgent rush to thrash out an agreement, but Chelsea are keen to get things sorted as soon as possible to avoid any unnecessary pressure from elsewhere as he approaches the end of his deal.

Mount is one of several players who have been discussing their futures at Chelsea, including midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who has enjoyed a resurgence following the arrival of Graham Potter in the dugout.

Also out of contract in 2024, 90min understands that progress has been made in talks over an extension with the 26-year-old, who made is 20th appearance of the season in the weekend's 1-0 defeat to Newcastle.

Mateo Kovacic, Christian Pulisic and Edouard Mendy are all in line for contract talks while Chelsea are also discussing the futures of midfielders Jorginho and N'Golo Kante, whose deals are up at the end of the season.