Chelsea are looking to firm themselves in the race for Moises Caicedo after losing out on top midfield target Manuel Ugarte.
According to TalkSport, Chelsea have turned their attention towards Moises Caicedo after losing out on Manuel Ugarte. The £80 million-rated Brighton star could leave the Seagulls amid heavy interest from Premier League giants, including Arsenal and Liverpool.
Brighton made a fantastic decision to resist big offers for Moises Caicedo in January and hold on to the £80 million-rated midfielder. That decision created a saga, with the Ecuadorian pleading with the club to allow him to depart to Arsenal.
The Gunners are still interested despite seeing two high-profile bids being turned down by Brighton. Mikel Arteta wants to bring Declan Rice and Caicedo as his top midfield targets, as it’s not a case of one or the other. Moreover, Brighton expects the Gunners to pay the right price for the midfielder.
Liverpool are also keen to sign him and have already secured Caicedo’s Brighton teammate Alexis Mac Allister. Reuniting with the Argentine might tempt the £80 million-rated midfielder, but Jurgen Klopp’s side may baulk at the massive asking price.
Another team in the chase is Chelsea. Todd Boehly was the first to launch a bid for Caicedo in January and swiftly turned the focus toward Enzo Fernandez. By that point, it became clear Brighton would not sell, so there was no point pursuing the player.
They have been hatching a ploy to sign Caicedo in the summer and may push their efforts to the next level. In the last 24 hours, many developments have occurred with Chelsea. After a thorough chase and seemingly putting themselves in the front seat, they lost out to PSG in signing Manuel Ugarte.
The Sporting CP star was their priority midfield target. That has resulted in Chelsea swiftly turning their attention towards Caicedo, possibly as an alternative to the Uruguayan. Many have suggested that’s not the case, and they may have wanted to sign both.
While Chelsea are a strong contender for any player they decide to pursue, their current circumstances may have a bearing. Caicedo only helped Brighton secure a Europa League berth, while the Blues will not play European football next season.
For instance, Arsenal will contend in the Champions League, making them an attractive destination. However, Brighton’s interest in Levi Colwill could favour Boehly. Chelsea have already rejected a £30 million offer recently and may look to include the defender in a deal for Caicedo.
However, as things stand, Arsenal may work hard in the background in chasing the £80 million-rated midfielder. The Gunners already have excellent relations with Caicedo’s agent and Brighton, which could give them an upper hand in this pursuit.
Arsenal will do a swap deal involving a certain 21 year old forward who has now broken the 20 goal barrier which has increased his stock worth to £60 million if you include the add-ons according to recent bid enquiries by Napoli and PSG to his agent. So Brighton would receive Balogun plus £20 million for Caicedo. That way Caicedo gets his wish to play for Arsenal and Brighton saves face with the fans by getting a 22 goal 21 year old centre forward target man plus £20 million to go towards a defensive replacement. Good business for both teams.