Mason Mount Is Leaving Chelsea Because He Wanted More Money But Don't Blame Player Greed, Says Rory Jennings: "The Ire And The Anger Should Be Directed At The Owners"

Chelsea fan and broadcaster Rory Jennings will be very disappointed to see Mason Mount move to Manchester United but he blames the club's owners rather than the player.

Mount looks set to swap Stamford Bridge for Old Trafford this summer, ending his long association with Chelsea.

After joining the club's academy as a young child, Mount became a first-team regular in 2019 and has since been named Chelsea Player of the Year twice.

His departure is seemingly about money, but Jennings does not think that Mount has been greedy.

Speaking on talkSPORT, Jennings explained: "What he wanted was parity. Mason Mount has been chronically underpaid at Chelsea for the last three years.

"Mason Mount doesn't earn anywhere near £100,000 per week. That is not normal for a professional footballer who is playing for England, winning European Cups and representing one of the biggest clubs in the country.

"Mason Mount has been chronically underpaid for such a long time. He is one of the lowest-paid members in the Chelsea first team."

Mason Mount is set to leave Chelsea this summer to join Premier League rivals Manchester United

IMAGO/Paul Marriott

Chelsea have offered Mount a new contract this year, but Jennings feels that this gesture was too little, too late.

"Now [they have offered him a new deal], but now he has already arranged his future. Now he's finally leaving, now he's made a dramatic statement by saying that he is going to leave, [only] now they have suggested parity.

"But it's gone sour now. Mason Mount has been so underpaid for so long. And while he's been underpaid he has been one of our best players.

"He has been our Player of the Year twice. That puts him in such elite company. It's very difficult to be Chelsea Player of the Year twice. The players that have done that in the past are Eden Hazard, Frank Lampard, Gianfranco Zola, John Terry... it is the creme de la creme.

"Chelsea fans love him (Mount). He was integral to us winning the European Cup. He's done everything in his power to keep Chelsea at the top. I think he is a class act and has been done a massive disservice by this new ownership.

"The ire and the anger should be directed at the owners who have allowed a player of his quality, a player who means so much to us, a player who has been at the club since he was eight [to be underpaid].

"Mount has been watching Kalidou Koulibaly land at the club and earn £300,000 a week, while he is on less than £100,000. He is watching Raheem Sterling earn £300,000 a week. He is watching [Marc] Cucurella and [Pierre-Emerick] Aubameyang earn far more than him when they aren't delivering and he has been one of the best players at Chelsea.

"Of course now it's gone sour and of course now he wants to leave."

Asked how big of a blow losing Mount will be to Chelsea, Jennings replied: "Our midfield is going to be threadbare without him. He is the heartbeat of any team he is in. He is going to elevate Manchester United hugely."