Chelsea are reportedly willing to fork out a whopping €90 million transfer fee to land Liverpool target Moises Caicedo from Brighton as they look to replace outgoing veteran N’Golo Kante.
According to Spanish outfit Fichajes, Liverpool and Chelsea have an offer prepared to persuade Brighton into selling their prized asset. The Reds are willing to pay up to €80 million for the Ecuador enforcer, but Chelsea could go all guns blazing in their pursuit of Caicedo and are ready to put a hefty €90 million offer on the table to secure the reported N’Golo Kante’s successor.
Caicedo has been linked with a move away from the Amex Stadium for a while now, with a host of Premier League big-hitters chasing after his signature. The 21-year-old has come leaps and bounds since joining the Seagulls in the 2021 winter transfer window for a nominal fee. It is now rumoured that Brighton value him at an eye-watering £85m.
The Ecuadorian has now established himself as a key member of the team, starting all 14 Premier League matches this season. At just 21, he has matured into a top-class defensive midfielder and has built his reputation further with a string of stellar midfield displays for Ecuador during the World Cup in Qatar, where he also netted the equaliser against Senegal.
Needless to say, his performances have caught the attention of the Premier League elite, and the likes of Chelsea, Newcastle, Liverpool, and Manchester United are reportedly all keen on securing his services. However, it seems the Reds and the Blues are ramping up their efforts to sign the midfield enforcer, with both clubs lining up their respective bids to persuade Brighton into a winter sale.
Chelsea manager Graham Potter knows everything there is to know about the player, having worked with him at Brighton. He could surely make do with someone like Caicedo at Stamford Bridge at the moment. Chelsea are in dire need of central midfield reinforcements.
They do not have a natural replacement for the likes of Jorginho and N’Golo Kanté in their squad, with the veteran duo set to leave for free at the end of the season when their contracts expire.
And when you consider that the Blues have generally struggled without the presence of Kante mopping up everything and initiating attacks from the middle of the park, a new midfielder should be at the top of their priority list next month.
Caicedo is a hard-hitting defensive midfielder in the Kante mould: an aggressive, sweeping, all-action presence that also shepherds possession progressively. One who loves nothing more than shrugging opposition players off the ball with intent pressing before launching quick attacking plays with his pinpoint passing.
However, Chelsea are not going to have a free run at pursuing Caicedo, with Liverpool also in the market for a young central midfielder. The Reds are in desperate need of a major rebuild in midfield, especially with Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, and James Milner all out of contract next year.
Jude Bellingham is a clear No. 1 priority, but with the player flirting with Real Madrid, they might have identified Caicedo as an alternative option. Jurgen Klopp & Co. are also set to make a bid for Fiorentina and Moroccan World Cup hero Sofyan Amrabat, with multiple midfield reinforcements on their agenda in 2023.