Chelsea have opened official talks with Brighton for the signing of midfielder Moises Caicedo and will submit a formal £80m offer, according to Football Insider.
The online news portal claims the Blues will submit an opening bid worth a guaranteed £70m plus £10m add-ons.
The Blues have been busy shipping out players in bid to meet the Financial Fair Play Regulations by the end of this month, having spent close to £600 in two transfer windows under new owner Todd Boehly.
The players who have already departed Stamford Bridge include Kalidou Koulibaly, N’Golo Kante, Edouard Mendy, Mateo Kovacic, and Kai Havertz.
Cesar Azpilicueta, Conor Gallagher, Christian Pulisic, Hakim Ziyech, and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang are all expected to follow suit while Mason Mount and Ruben Loftus-Cheek are close to joining Manchester United and AC Milan respectively.
Man Utd have agreed a £60m package with the West Londoners to sign Mount and the England international is set to undergo his medical while Loftus-Cheek is also expected to seal his move to Milan.
Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino is keen on downsizing the squad ahead of next season, however, he also wants to bring in quality players and Caicedo has emerged as a serious transfer target.
Reinforcement
Caicedo has attracted interest from several clubs including Arsenal, Man Utd and Liverpool but it looks like Chelsea are favourites to complete a deal this summer.
According to Football Insider, Chelsea are now in formal talks to sign the midfielder and will submit an opening offer worth £80m. The package will see Chelsea pay £70m plus another £10m in add-ons.
The report says the Ecuadorian has set his heart on joining Pochettino’s side, and personal terms have been agreed ahead of the proposed move. It is believed that Chelsea could reach an agreement with Brighton in the coming days.
The former Champions League winners had offers for the 21-year-old turned down by Brighton in January because the Seagulls did not want to sell mid-season, however, it seems they are now ready to do business.
Caicedo was ever-present for Brighton last season as he racked up 43 appearances in all competitions, scored one goal, and recorded one assist as Roberto De Zerbi’s side finished seventh in the Premier League to secure qualification to Europe for the first time in their history.
Caicedo would be a perfect fit for Chelsea if the Blues could complete the deal in the coming days.
Read more: South American star undergoing medical ahead of move to Chelsea after Blues agree £13m deal
