Reece James has said he will be ‘sad’ to see Mason Mount leave Chelsea this summer, while he is hopeful that Mauricio Pochettino can turn the club’s fortunes around. The west Londoners endured a miserable campaign in which they recorded their worst finish (12th) and lowest points tally (44) in Premier League history, going through four different coaches in the process. Manchester United are believed to have already agreed personal terms with Mount and Chelsea are resigned to losing a player who has been at the club since 2005. James, who came through the academy with Mount, conceded it would be a big blow to lose the midfielder if he does decide to swap Stamford Bridge for Old Trafford this month. Ben Chilwell was also asked about Mount’s possible exit, saying: ‘I mean, that’s none of my business personally, but I’d love him to stay. He’s my best mate. Personally I’d love him to stay but it’s not my business, I can’t really comment on that.’
James himself endured a very difficult, injury-ravaged campaign which saw him miss the World Cup, making just 16 appearances in the Premier League. He is hopeful things will start to improve – both personally and for the club – once Pochettino has taken over. Chelsea are also pushing ahead with new additions and are believed to have secured a £52million deal for Sporting Lisbon defensive midfielder Manuel Ugarte.