Dean Jones believes Chelsea could hold early talks with Brighton for £80 million-rated priority target, Moises Caicedo.
Dean Jones via Give Me Sport reckons Chelsea could hold early talks and plot a way to sign Moises Caicedo. The £80 million-rated priority target has plenty of rival interest, with Arsenal one of the favourites to land the Ecuadorian as the summer window inches closer.
Moises Caicedo has had plenty of ups and downs, but he will end the season in a terrific manner. After helping Brighton draw with Manchester City at the Amex on Wednesday, the result ensured the Seagulls would play in the Europa League next season.
It’s a monumental achievement for Brighton; they hope to have their core players for their maiden European campaign. The chances of retaining stars like Alexis Mac Allister and Caicedo look slim, as the midfield duo could join Champions League clubs.
However, Chelsea are eyeing a big money move for Caicedo in the upcoming window despite them not playing in Europe next season. The Blues wanted the £80 million-rated priority target in January but saw Brighton reject their offer.
As things stand, Arsenal are ahead of Chelsea in the running for Caicedo. The Gunners also saw Brighton rejected two bids, with the midfielder even taking to Social Media, requesting the Seagulls to allow him to transfer to the Emirates.
Arsenal have reportedly held positive talks ahead of the summer, but Chelsea’s interest could come as a bother for the north Londoners. Journalist Dean Jones reckons the Blues might consider bringing the Ecuadorian. He suggested the Blues could hold early talks with Brighton to complete the deal.
Jones said, “I think early in the window, we will see Chelsea seek guidance from Brighton over what it is going to take to sign Moisés Caicedo. I can’t be sure yet that they will make the offer, but that’s what the first step will be, understanding exactly what the expected terms will be and getting a feel for how quickly things can move forward.”
“Chelsea do not want to waste any time with their business. [Mauricio] Pochettino needs a settled squad for pre-season as much as possible. They absolutely do not want a repeat of last pre-season, as the poor preparations left them chasing from day one in the Premier League.”
“I know that Chelsea have other options beyond Caicedo, but he is attainable in the next window, and there will also be at least two other Premier League clubs interested, so I’ve been told to expect early talks on that one.”
Liverpool and Manchester United were also credited with an interest in Caicedo, but at this moment, Arsenal are the prime contender. The Gunners could offer him Champions League football as Mikel Arteta looks to revamp his midfield options.
Chelsea will still have a chance to make statement signings despite their lowly finish in the league. Whether they succeed in convincing the player remains the question, as Caicedo will consider his next move once the season ends.