Chelsea are hoping to sign Ecuadorian midfielder Moises Caicedo from fellow Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion this month.
According to Ben Jacobs, Chelsea are willing to pay in excess of £65 million to sign Moises Caicedo from fellow Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion before the January transfer window closes.
Caicedo has been a key player for Brighton since joining the club. And the Seagulls will be expecting a fee of more than £75 million to sell the player this month. It remains to be seen whether Chelsea are prepared to accept their demands.
The Blues have been very active in the transfer market so far and they have pulled off the signings of David Fofana, Andrey Santos, Joao Felix, Benoit Badiashile and Mykhaylo Mudryk so far. Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly remains committed to improving the squad. And according to Ben Jacobs, he is ready to bankroll another big money move for Caicedo by paying over £65 million.
Graham Potter’s side have been quite disappointing this season, and they will need reinforcements to finish the season strongly and secure a UEFA Champions League spot. Chelsea have looked vulnerable in the midfield this season, especially in the absence of N’Golo Kante. Caicedo could fill in for him and form a quality partnership alongside Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic.
🚨 Chelsea are actively exploring signing Moises Caicedo.
Although Brighton maintain no offers yet, told #CFC prepared to pay £65m+. Brighton would expect £75m+ to consider a January sale. https://t.co/vy8BxqXh1c
— Ben Jacobs (@JacobsBen) January 16, 2023
Furthermore, Jorginho and Kante might leave the club at the end of the season when their contracts expire. And Chelsea will need to replace them adequately. Bringing in Caicedo this month would leave Chelsea needing just one more central midfielder in the summer. So the interest in the 21-year-old makes sense.
The Blues have tried to sign World Cup winner Enzo Fernandez from Benfica. But the Premier League giants refused to pay the player’s release clause. And the move has collapsed as a result of that.
Caicedo is one of the most promising young midfielders in the Premier League. And he should be able to settle in quickly and make an immediate impact at Stamford Bridge. Moving to Chelsea would be a significant step up in the player’s career. And he is likely to be tempted to join them if a concrete proposal is presented over the next few days.
Furthermore, Potter helped him develop at the Amex Stadium. And a reunion with his former manager at Chelsea is likely to be an attractive idea for the young midfielder. But it will be interesting to see if a £65 million bid gets the job done for Chelsea.
