Chelsea are set to launch a big push to sign Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo, who is eager to move to Stamford Bridge.
According to CBS Sports reporter Ben Jacobs, Chelsea will now make a “big push” to sign Moises Caicedo, who wants the move and is close to reaching an agreement over personal terms with the Blues.
A fee of between £70 million and £100 million is now being bandied about, with Jacobs claiming that sources in the Caicedo camp do not think Chelsea would have to pay any more than the £85.3 million Real Madrid forked out to land France international Aurelien Tchouameni from AS Monaco last summer. That seems to be the benchmark the Seagulls have set for Caicedo due to their similar age profile and high ceiling.
Ever since refusing to match Paris Saint-Germain’s offer to Manuel Ugarte, the Blues have turned their attention to Caicedo. The Blues are targeting Brighton’s highly-rated young Ecuador international as their top target to fill the looming midfield gaps created by the exits of the likes of N’Golo Kante and Mateo Kovacic.
The 21-year-old is deemed the ideal long-term partner for record signing Enzo Fernandez, who joined the project in January for £106 million. The Blues are said to have had a £60 million bid rejected for the Brighton midfielder earlier this month and have been working to raise funds to ensure that they do not fall foul of Financial Fair Play before stepping up with an improved massive Caicedo bid.
The London club are rumoured to be close to selling Kai Havertz to Arsenal, as well as seeing the back of fringe players like Kalidou Koulibaly, Hakim Ziyech, and Edouard Mendy move to the Saudi Pro League. New boss Mauricio Pochettino could also be without Mason Mount, who is said to be nearing a move to Manchester United, who have had a third bid rejected.
This flurry of exits from Stamford Bridge will not only shed the bloated wage bill but will net them well in excess of £120 million in transfer fees, the kind of money that will boost Chelsea’s transfer kitty massively and bid close to Brighton’s demand of a reported £100 million for Caicedo.
Chelsea would like to haggle the fee down and agree a deal closer to his market value. But the longer they wait, the more likely it is that they are leaving the door ajar for someone like Arsenal to revive their interest in Caicedo if they miss out on top target Declan Rice, with Manchester City now flirting with a move for the England international.
Caicedo is not the only player who Chelsea are progressing with, as Villarreal striker Nicolas Jackson looks set to seal his move to Stamford Bridge.
