Chelsea are reportedly set to beat Premier League rivals in pursuit of Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Moises Caicedo, as per the CBS Sports journalist Ben Jacobs.
The 21-year-old joined the Seagulls during the winter of 2021 from Independiente del Valle for a fee of around £4m. He made his debut for the Southcoast side last year before establishing himself as a regular starter at the Amex Stadium this term.
Brighton have enjoyed a brilliant first half of this season, sitting eighth in the table with 27 points from 17 games. The Ecuadorian international has been one of the driving forces behind the Seagulls’ excellent form this term and his eye-catching performances haven’t gone unnoticed.
Liverpool, Manchester United and Arsenal have all expressed their interest in signing him. However, writing on Twitter, Ben Jacobs has stated that Caicedo is ‘firmly’ on Chelsea’s radar and they are leading the race to sign the midfielder this month.
Caicedo to Chelsea
The journalist further states that although Roberto De Zerbi’s side are reluctant to sell any of their stars this month, they ‘understand’ their player will be looking to move away if ‘opportunities arise’. And there is ‘a real possibility’ that Caicedo will end up joining the Stamford Bridge outfit this winter.
Jacobs said:
“More on Moises Caicedo. A real possibility #CFC move. Brighton CEO Paul Barber told me no offers received to date, and #BHAFC don’t want any high-profile January outgoings, but added he “understands” if opportunities arise. Caicedo firmly on #CFC radar, as revealed in December.”
With the midfielder still having two and a half years left in his current contract, the Seagulls are in a strong position to ask a big fee for their star man. It was previously reported that De Zerbi’s side have slapped a whooping £85m price tag to let him leave this month.
Chelsea experienced Brighton’s resilience in transfer dealings while purchasing Marc Cucurella last summer. So, brokering a deal for Caicedo will be difficult for the Blues this winter.
It will be interesting to see whether Chelsea will be able to sign the Ecuadorian in January. With Potter’s side seemingly looking to overhaul the engine room, signing the youngster would be an excellent decision.
