Man Utd 'see £40m Mason Mount bid rejected' as Chelsea hold out for higher fee

 Manchester United have had a £40m bid rejected for Mason Mount, whose contract with boyhood club Chelsea expires next summer, but Erik ten Hag's side remain optimistic about signing him

Manchester United’s initial bid for Mason Mount has been rejected by Chelsea.

The Red Devils launched their first concrete offer for the Blues midfielder on Wednesday. But their £40million bid fell short of the west London side’s valuation of their academy star.

Mount is set to enter the final 12 months of his contract and there is a growing feeling that he will move on this summer, with talks over a new deal at Stamford Bridge breaking down.

The Telegraph reports United are still confident of signing the 24-year-old despite their initial approach being some way off Chelsea’s demands.

The Red Devils are convinced Mount will not sign a new contract, meaning Chelsea are more likely to move the player on rather than letting him go on a free transfer next year.

It remains to be seen whether United will promptly return with a bigger offer or whether they will wait for their Premier League rivals to panic and lower their asking price.

New Chelsea head coach Mauricio Pochettino is believed to be a fan of Mount and is eager to keep the England international. Yet Mount has already rejected the offer of a one-year extension due to footballing reasons and the overall direction of the club.

Chelsea’s contract woes are not limited to Mount, however. Transfer guru David Ornstein revealed on Wednesday that Arsenal are now in pursuit of forward Kai Havertz - who, like Mount, has just one year left on his deal.

The Gunners may need to pay a considerable sum to convince the Blues to sell the 24-year-old to a London rival, having already lined up a club record-breaking bid for Chelsea target Declan Rice.

Real Madrid were interested in the German playmaker but are unwilling to pay more than £50m to secure his services. Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich could also join the fray with a bid at some point this summer.