Mason Mount’s father has told the Sun that his son turned down the chance to join Rangers last summer after talks with Steven Gerrard.
20-year-old Chelsea midfielder Mount, valued at £10.8m by Transfermarkt, is one of the most heralded talents of his age-group in England.
As we all know, he ended up at Derby County last season. During his stint, he scored nine goals and registered four assists, almost helping the Rams to promotion to the Premier League.
Mason Mount turned down Rangers for Derby move
However, it’s been suggested that Pride Park wasn’t the only destination on the table. According to his dad, Sporting Lisbon, Werder Bremen, Red Bull Leipzig, Norwich and Bournemouth all showed interest. So too, did Rangers.
In fact, it’s claimed Steven Gerrard met with the player, but could not convince him to head for Glasgow.
“We went up to London and met Frank and Jody [Morris] at a hotel,” Tony Mount told the Sun. “Frank was brilliant, explaining what he could give Mason. He knew him inside out, was talking about games he’d watched Mason play.
“We spoke to Steven Gerrard about going to Rangers and Steven Gerrard was very similar: ‘I’ve watched Mason, know him inside out and want him to come on a journey with me.’
“I said to Mason, ‘Don’t rush into it, we’ve got to think about it – I like Werder Bremen, and Norwich was a good meeting.’ He said, ‘No, Dad, I’m going to Derby. I want to work for Frank Lampard.’”
Verdict
Since Steven Gerrard has joined Rangers, the club’s ability to bring in highly-rated players has definitely increased. The likes of Jermain Defoe would never have joined a few years back, while the manager was a central factor in Joe Aribo’s decision to come to Glasgow [Express].
However, it seems that in the case of Mason Mount, he couldn’t quite work his magic. That’s a shame as he’s a fantastic young player who could have made a big impact in the Scottish Premiership.
You can’t get them all, though and it sounds like the player’s mind was made up as soon as Lampard registered interest.
As a youngster who has come all the way through the ranks at Chelsea, that’s understandable. The former midfielder is a legend at Stamford Bridge, and now he’s been given the top job, Mount could be primed to make his Premier League debut this campaign.
