Chelsea star Mason Mount may have opted against penning a new contract as he wants to discover the future 'strategy' at Stamford Bridge, according to journalist Dean Jones.

The Blues have gone into the domestic break sitting eighth in the Premier League - 16 points adrift of table-topping Arsenal - and they have faced difficulties in attempting to tie Mount down to fresh terms.

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What's the latest news involving Mount?

According to the Telegraph, Mount and Chelsea have reached a stalemate in contract negotiations, resulting in the academy graduate having an uncertain future.

The 23-year-old, who has made 181 appearances for the club, has been in discussions over a new deal since the summer and there has not been a breakthrough in talks.

Mount is set to enter the final 18 months of his agreement, which is worth £80,000-per-week, at the turn of the year.

The central midfielder has been a key man since Graham Potter's appointment as Chelsea's head coach, starting every Premier League fixture.

Mount will be hoping to add to his 32 international caps at the World Cup, having been selected by England boss Gareth Southgate.

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What has Dean Jones said about Mount?

Jones is surprised that Mount has opted against committing his long-term future to Chelsea by signing a new contract.

However, the transfer insider feels the fan favourite could be holding off putting pen-to-paper while there is uncertainty over the direction the Blues are heading in.

Jones told GIVEMESPORT: "I think it's interesting that he hasn't just signed the contract and that he is actually holding out a little bit.

"Maybe he just wants to wait and see what the actual strategy is here. Speaking to someone at the weekend about how these things are working, they said it is quite a complicated strategy that they're putting in place.

"They're trying to sign three different tiers of player at the moment, all at the same time, and trying to just make the immediate future, the near future and the far future all come into place at one time."

Should Chelsea prioritise handing Mount a new contract?

There is no doubt that Mount has been a wonderful servant to Chelsea and, in the process, he has gone on to win some of football's biggest prizes, including the Champions League.

Not only is he the west Londoners' second leading goalscorer and at the top of the pile for Premier League assists this season, but he boasts the fourth-best average match rating among his team-mates.

Statistics show that Mount also completes 1.3 key passes and puts in 1.7 tackles per top flight outing, so it is clear that his presence is felt in all areas of the pitch.

Todd Boehly led a £4.25billion takeover of Chelsea in May and allowing Mount to leave Stamford Bridge, having failed to agree fresh terms, would be among his first big mistakes.

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