Mason Mount, Chelsea midfielder, appeared emotional as he left Stamford Bridge, possibly bidding farewell to his boyhood club. Although he was unable to play in the

1-1 draw against Newcastle, Mount joined his teammates for the traditional end-of-season lap of appreciation after the match.

After the supporters had departed, Mount returned to the pitch and shared a poignant embrace with a member of the Chelsea backroom staff, indicating the sentimental significance of the moment.

Manchester United and Liverpool are reportedly competing to secure the signature of Mount, whose departure from Chelsea this summer seems increasingly likely. While incoming head coach Mauricio Pochettino has expressed his desire to retain Mount, he has not yet exerted any influence over the player's future due to an ongoing contract stand-off with Chelsea.

With Mount's contract set to expire at the end of next season, Chelsea is prepared to sell him to ensure they receive a transfer fee rather than risk losing him on a free transfer next summer. Arsenal and Newcastle have also shown interest in the talented England international.

In addition to Mount, other Chelsea players such as Cesar Azpilicueta, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Trevoh Chalobah, Edouard Mendy, Christian Pulisic, and Mateo Kovacic participated in the lap of appreciation, raising the possibility that it could have been their final game for the club as well. Photo by Brian Minkoff London-Pixels, Wikimedia commons.