Mason Mount admitted he 'fell in love' at Old Trafford amid Manchester United transfer links

Mason Mount's contract stand-off at Chelsea has led to plenty of speculation he could be set to depart the Stamford Bridge outfit this summer.

The Blues' Premier League rivals Manchester United have been linked with a move for the England international, with ESPN recently reporting he's also a target for Liverpool and Manchester City. Mount's contract in west London is set to expire at the end of next season, meaning Todd Boehly and Graham Potter may decide to cash-in on him next season, rather than risk him leaving for nothing.

It has been claimed that United boss Erik ten Hag could take advantage of Mount's potential availability to reinforce his midfield, to which he has already added Casemiro, Christian Eriksen and Marcel Sabitzer (on loan) this campaign. The news of United's possible interest may well be welcome from Mount's side, too, after he admitted 'falling in love' with his idol Cristiano Ronaldo's technique while in the away end at Old Trafford as a kid.

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Mount, who is a childhood Portsmouth fan, travelled to Manchester when the two sides met in 2008. In the game, Ronaldo stepped up to smash one of his trademark free-kicks into the top-right corner of the Pompey goal.

And a young Mount was left very impressed - so much so that he started modelling his own game on the Portuguese legend.

Speaking to Amazon Prime after Chelsea's game against United last April, Mount explained how much of an impact the goal has had on him as a player. He explained: "I think everyone has seen the video of when I was younger basing my free-kick off him. I always watched him very closely when he was at United as a young kid. I loved the way he played, his