Chelsea are set to increase their offer in an attempt to sign Moises Caicedo from Brighton & Hove Albion this winter, according to the Mirror.
Backed by owner Todd Boehly, boss Graham Potter wants to continue their spending spree with the acquisition of the South American despite seeing a £55m bid turned down last week. The newspaper claims the Blues are set to make a new offer closer to £65m as they look to tempt Brighton into a sale.
The complete overhaul of the team is on-going, having already brought in six players this window including Noni Madueke from PSV Eindhoven, Mykhaylo Mudryk from Shakhtar Donetsk as well as Joao Felix on loan from Atletico Madrid.
Despite making all these signings, Potter wants to strengthen his ageing midfield as Jorginho and N’Golo Kante are likely to leave at the end of the season, so Chelsea need to bolster their midfield options.
Their priority transfer target was Argentina and Benfica midfielder Enzo Fernández but the proposed move fell through at the eleventh hour, switching Potter’s attention to Caicedo – who he believes could be the perfect fit for the club.
The Blues are struggling to make a meaningful impact this season and have been knocked out from the Carabao Cup and FA Cup. They lie 10th on the Premier League table following their goalless draw against Liverpool at Anfield on Saturday.
Competition
Premier League clubs Liverpool and Newcastle United are also interested in signing Caicedo but according to the Mirror, Chelsea stand as favourites to complete the deal.
Caicedo was coached by Potter at Brighton before the English gaffer moved to Chelsea. It is believed that Potter is keen on bringing the 21-year-old to Stamford Bridge as a perfect replacement for Kante – who has been struggling with injuries for the past two seasons.
He was one of the shinning stars at the 2022 World Cup, featuring in all three games for Ecuador as they exited the competition at the group stage.
This season, Caicedo has made 21 appearances in all competitions for Brighton as they lie 6th in the league table and have set sights on securing European qualification at the end of the season.
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