Chelsea are now prioritising the signing of Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Moises Caicedo, confirms Fabrizio Romano. The Ecuador international was strongly linked with a move to Arsenal in the January transfer window, only for the Seagulls to block a deal.
Chelsea Make Moises Caicedo a Summer Transfer Priority
Chelsea Ready to Make Moves for Caicedo
It has already been reported that Brighton will ask for at least £70 million to sell Caicedo in the summer after having signed him for a much lower amount in 2021 from Independiente del Valle.
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Romano further states that Chelsea will soon look to make their attack to sign the Ecuadorian midfielder ahead of any other interested parties. He also adds that he is one of their summer priorities to improve their midfield, alongside Sporting CP midfielder Manuel Ugarte.
Caicedo was involved in a transfer saga with Arsenal during the January window. He even asked for Brighton to let him leave and join the Gunners, who saw their bid rejected for him too. However, in the end, Brighton refused to flinch, and the Gunners had to settle with signing Jorginho from Chelsea. The Blues appear determined to sign the 21-year-old midfielder over their London rivals.
Chelsea Planning Major Changes in Midfield
A move for Caicedo comes after it was reported that Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount has agreed personal terms with Manchester United over a potential summer deal. Chelsea are also reportedly open to allowing Mateo Kovacic to talk to reigning Premier League champions Manchester City over the possibility of joining them this summer.
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It’s clear that new manager Mauricio Pochettino is planning for major changes in the midfield. He seemingly wants to sign younger, more energetic and hard-working midfielders to play with their record winter signing Enzo Fernandez next season and Caicedo can be ideal for that. Caicedo, who was hailed as a ‘terrific player’ even before arriving at Brighton, has excelled for the Seagulls in recent years. He played a pivotal role in helping them secure a Europa League spot last season, making 37 Premier League appearances in which he got two goal contributions (one goal, one assist).
