Liverpool could be lining up a move for Mason Mount to fill the ‘void’ left by Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s impending departure.
The Reds have been heavily linked with a summer move for Mount as doubt is cast over his Chelsea future. But as per TalkSPORT pundit Tony Cascarino, the 24-year-old doesn’t look like a clean fit at Liverpool.
“I’m not quite sure where he’s going to play at Liverpool. Is he going to play at the top of a three behind the centre forward whether that’s [Darwin] Nunez this season?” queried the former striker.
“He’s not going to play on the right because that’s for [Mohamed] Salah, [Luis] Diaz will come back and he’s on the left. He’s a central attacking midfielder.”
With no obvious slot open for Mount, Cascarino suggested that he could only be brought in to play the versatile ‘Oxlade-Chamberlain role.’
“Now Liverpool did have [Alex] Oxlade-Chamberlain to fill that role and that’s not really happened. So Liverpool will be filling that void that the Ox didn’t really achieve. He’s had bad injuries and I feel sorry for him because he did have a number of seriously big injuries. But that’s the only way I can see [Mount] fitting.”
Liverpool looking for Ox upgrade
After six years at Anfield, Oxlade-Chamberlain looks set to depart this summer. Having once again found himself on the periphery of the team this season, that’s surely for the best.
Ask Liverpool fans if Jurgen Klopp needs to replace what the 29-year-old brings, most supporters would probably say no. All too often injured and not a key player in any of the several positions he plays, Ox is, unfortunately, dispensable right now.
But that doesn’t take away from the fact that he’s useful to have around. There’s a reason Klopp has kept him at Liverpool for so long. Able to contribute in attack and midfield, he’s can be used in a variety of systems and formations. It’s tricky to find players like that.
As Cascarino alludes to, Mount is one of them. The Chelsea man has perhaps even fallen victim to the fact that he doesn’t really have a set position. As a result, he hasn’t been able to shine in any fully defined role over a long period of time. Despite that, he’s still played at a ‘high level’ according to Cascarino.
Ox had a desire to establish himself as a midfielder when he joined Liverpool. Perhaps Mount will do the same. Also twenty-four when he signed from a fellow ‘big 6’ club, a move for Mount would have certain echoes of his £35m signing from Arsenal in 2017. Despite some bumps along the way, that has ended up being a decent deal for the Reds. Sign the Chelsea player though, and you feel that the Reds would be getting an upgrade.