Chelsea to give Mount a pre-season look after impressive campaign with Derby

Chelsea are ready to give Mason Mount an extended look in the preseason, Goal understands.

The 20-year-old midfielder has yet to earn minutes with the Blues first-team but that could change with an impressive summer.

Mount spent the 2018-19 season on loan with Derby County, playing for Chelsea legend Frank Lampard as he looked to guide the Rams back to the Premier League.

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The midfielder scored nine goals and added four assists in 37 games this season, helping Derby finish sixth and make the promotion playoffs by a point over Middlesbrough.

And Mount’s influence continued in the semi-final against Leeds United, as he scored in the Rams’ 4-2 second leg victory over Leeds, to advance 4-3 on aggregate.

That means Mount and Derby could win promotion back to the Premier League with victory over Aston Villa in the final at Wembley on May 27, but it will likely be his last game with the club regardless of outcome.

The Blues, who face a two-window transfer ban if their appeal fails, plan to take a long look at Mount this pre-season regardless if Maurizio Sarri remains as manager, with the Italian’s future still undecided.

Chelsea begin their preseason on July 23 in Japan, where they will face off against Kawasaki Frontale, the 2018 champions of the J-League, at Nissan Stadium in Yokohama.

The Blues then will match up against La Liga champions Barcelona at Saitama Stadium, Saitima on July 23.

With those clashes in mind, Chelsea have secured Mount a Japanese visa, allowing him to be a full participant in the club’s pre-season plans.

Mount will be looking to make the next step up after working his way first through the Chelsea academy, which he joined at age six, and now through a pair of successive loans.

He starred for Vitesse in the Eredivisie in the 2017-18 season, scoring 14 goals and adding nine assists as he helped the club secure a position in the Europa League.

A regular contributor for England at the youth international levels, Mount also received an senior team call-up for the Three Lions in October 2018, though he did not feature for Gareth Southgate in matches against Croatia and Spain.