Mason Mount and Kai Havertz sales represent poor business from Chelsea, says Paul Merson

Let’s be honest, selling Mason Mount and Kai Havertz is not good business from Chelsea. I just don’t get it.

It may make sense if Chelsea had to bring some money in, but there is no point getting money in at the expense of missing out on the top four, which itself will lose the club more money.

Manchester United and Arsenal are going to be in the mix for the top four next season along with Chelsea, so why would you weaken yourself by selling two of your best players to direct rivals?

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Chelsea fans will say Mount and Havertz didn’t have great seasons last season, but they are proper players who will definitely improve the teams they go to.

I could understand if they were sold to Real Madrid or Bayern Munich, but not to two enemies who are going to be fighting to be where you want to be just to get money in to keep on buying unproven kids.

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The way Chelsea are going about it, it’s like they are trying to dominate football in five years’ time, but we all know how football changes and these up-and-coming kids aren’t guaranteed to be the stars of the future.

Mount treated unfairly at Chelsea?

Image: Mason Mount has completed a medical ahead of his proposed £60m move to Man Utd

When you’re a player coming through the ranks, it’s not the same as someone who has been bought. If you’re paying £50m for someone, they are an asset, so they get looked after.

When I went to Middlesbrough I was treated like a king. I sneezed and there was a tissue there!

Mount has probably thought, ‘why am I getting treated differently to everyone else, why am I not getting the money these other players are getting?’ Let’s remember, he was the best player in the team the year before last and won Player of the Year twice.

I cannot believe only one club was after Mount. He’s proven in the Premier League, before his injury last season he was nailed on to start for England and he was the best player in a good Chelsea team.

If I supported Manchester United, I’d be more than happy with the signing. He gives you energy, gets on the ball, on the half-turn, looks forward all the time. The kid is a proper player, a special player.

Havertz warning

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Kai Havertz says it ‘feels super exciting’ to join Arsenal from Chelsea in a £65m deal

Arsenal should be buzzing with Kai Havertz, he makes them a better team.

The only problem I could see with Havertz is similar to that experienced by Mesut Ozil at Arsenal. If it’s not going well, Havertz doesn’t look too interested.

That’s just down to the way he plays, it’s just the way certain players are, it’s not that he’s not trying. If you’re having a good game Havertz looks elegant, silky, but if it’s not going well, people will say he’s not running around or trying.

That’s his only problem, but make no mistake, he improves Arsenal.

‘Chelsea crying out for signings’

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Speaking to Chelsea TV, the club’s new head coach, Mauricio Pochettino makes a bold claim about how successful they have been over the last 15 years

Chelsea are crying out for a new goalkeeper. You need a goalkeeper who is going to win you points. Having one can half move you up the league quickly.

David De Gea gets slaughtered at Manchester United for giving away points, but he gains a lot of points for them, he probably saves more points than he loses.

Chelsea’s midfield is crying out for reinforcements too. Everyone has gone. They have got Enzo Fernandez and Conor Gallagher at the club, there is talk of Moises Caicedo coming in, but that is all they’ve got, potentially three midfield players, that is it.

As we sit here today, if Mauricio Pochettino gets Chelsea into the top four having only signed Caicedo, you would say he pulled up trees.

‘Kane turns Chelsea into title contenders’

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Rob Dorsett says Spurs are adamant Harry Kane is not for sale, but explains Bayern Munich are ‘determined’ to sign the forward either in this transfer window or next summer

They need midfielders and they also need a centre-forward. The only player out there who takes Chelsea to another level is Harry Kane, he’s the only one. He takes Chelsea to challenging for the league title again.

If Chelsea buy Kane, something would be wrong if they didn’t finish in the top four, that’s how big a difference Kane would make.

He scored 30 league goals last season for Tottenham, for Tottenham. And who’s playing with him at Spurs? He has to do it all himself virtually. If he stays at Spurs next season with James Maddison now there, I dread to think how many goals he will get.

I cannot for the life of me see Kane join Bayern Munich. Why would you get to within 47 goals of Alan Shearer’s Premier League scoring record and then go to Bayern to help them win the Bundesliga for the 97th time on the trot? Why would you go? What for?