According to respected journalist Ben Jacobs, Chelsea are still in the race to sign Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Moises Caicedo this summer.
The London giants are currently in advanced talks to sign Manuel Ugarte from Sporting Lisbon. There is optimism that a deal could be finalised soon, but the club also have ambitious plans to land Caicedo.
As per Jacobs, Chelsea are still in the hunt to sign the Ecuadorian wonderkid, and their decision won’t change with the arrival of Ugarte from Sporting in the coming days.
Quality
Chelsea have spent a staggering £600 million on signings since their takeover by Todd Boehly’s consortium in May 2022. Despite the lavish spending, the club finished a lowly 12th in the Premier League last season.
This is far from acceptable for a club of Chelsea’s calibre and there could be another spending spree to fix underlying issues. With the likes of Mason Mount, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Mateo Kovacic heading for exits, the midfield could be the main focus.
Ugarte appears on the verge of joining the club and the next target looks to be Caicedo, who was the subject of an approach from Chelsea in January. The club’s £55 million bid for the 21-year-old was rejected by Brighton.
Caicedo went on to sign a new long-term contract with Roberto De Zerbi’s side, but there is apparently a gentleman’s agreement that he would be allowed to leave for a bigger club if Brighton’s asking price is met this summer.
Chelsea are bound to make a fresh approach for his signature, but they may need to be wary of Arsenal. According to Teradeportes, the player has agreed terms with Arsenal, but Chelsea could beat them with a higher salary offer.
The lack of European football is a demerit for Chelsea next season, but the club are hopeful that incoming manager Mauricio Pochettino can persuade the highly-rated midfielder to choose them over the Gunners this summer.
