Competition for a midfield spot is set to be fierce at Chelsea next season.

Frank Lampard, if he is appointed manager as expected, will be able to call upon the likes of N'Golo Kante, Jorginho, Ross Barkley and Ruben Loftus-Cheek when he returns from injury.

Bearing that in mind, even though he has already worked under Lampard at Derby, you could excuse Mason Mount for feeling a little anxious as he prepares for a possible Chelsea stay next season.

Factor in the potential signing of Mateo Kovacic, something which Mundo Deportivo (via The Chelsea Echo) expects to happen, and things do not get any better some might argue.

But does Mount really have anything to fear if it comes down to a straight shootout between himself and the Croatian? On last season's showing, probably not.

All things considered, the 20-year-old looks capable of offering so much more going forward than Kovacic and that will arguably be hard to ignore. Yes, he played his football in the Championship. But even so, his numbers still make for good reading. For example, Mount made just under 2.0 key passes per game, a display of the kind of creativity he can bring to attacks. To give some context, Kovacic, in contrast, averaged 0.8 (as per WhoScored).

With 1.1 crosses and 1.6 long balls compared to Kovacic's 0 and 0.9, Mount also looks like an option in the middle of the park who is willing to go for the more brave and riskier passes -- or at least compared to the former Inter Milan man.

If that is what Lampard wants, then Mount will surely fancy his chances against Kovacic in the battle for a starting berth in the midfield.

Chelsea fans, who would you prefer to see in the engine room next season, Mount or Kovacic? Let us know who and why in the comment section below!