Chelsea are set to intensify talks to sign Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Moises Caicedo and Villarreal striker Nicolas Jackson this week, according to the Guardian.
Chelsea will offload several players to meet the Financial Fair Play Regulations after splashing close to £600m on signings in the previous two transfer windows under their owner Todd Boehly.
N’Golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Mason Mount, and Conor Gallagher have all been tipped to leave Stamford Bridge this summer with the latter linked with a move to Tottenham Hotspur.
With so many midfielders set to depart, Pochettino needs reinforcements in the middle of the park. According to the Guardian, Chelsea are eyeing Celta Vigo midfielder Gabri Veiga, who has a £34m release clause, but face competition from Liverpool.
The Blues are yet to formalise their interest in the Spaniard and the report suggests Pochettino’s prime target is Caicedo. Chelsea are in pole position to sign the Ecuadorian after Arsenal withdrew their interest and they’ll step-up talks over a deal this week.
According to the report, Brighton want £100m for Caicedo but Chelsea will hope to lower that fee, and could include Gallagher as part of a player-plus-cash swap deal.
Chelsea’s offer worth £55m for Caicedo was rejected by Brighton in January because the Seagulls did not want to lose him in the middle of the season but it looks like Pochettino could get his man this summer.
Caicedo has emerged as one of the best young talents in the Premier League following his outstanding displays for Brighton. He made 43 appearances in all competitions, scored one goal, and provided one assist as the Seagulls finished sixth in the Premier League and qualified for next season’s UEFA Europa League, the first time in the club’s history.
Attacking reinforcement
Chelsea are also looking to strengthen their attack as they struggled to score goals throughout last season and they’ve been linked with top class strikers such as Victor Osimhen, Lautaro Martinez and Dusan Vlahovic this summer.
However, Jackson has emerged as a surprise target in recent days and the Guardian says Chelsea will intensify their efforts to get a deal agreed for the 21-year-old over the coming days.
The report claims that Jackson has already agreed personal terms over a switch to Stamford Bridge and Chelsea could trigger his £30m release clause to ensure a swift deal – although they may opt to try and negotiate a lower fee with Villarreal.
Jackson has shown plenty of promise during his time in Spain but it remains to be seen wether he’d be Chelsea’s first choice front-man if he seals a move to West London, or whether Pochettino will also look to bring in a more established name.
It looks like it’s going to be a busy week at Stamford Bridge as Chelsea look to agreed deals to sign a £130m-rated duo. Caicedo and Jackson would be a solid start to the summer but there will be lots more business to be done in West London over the coming months.
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