Chelsea are set to have their resolve tested in a major way as Arsenal prepare to snape up Declan Rice and Moises Caicedo this summer.
Jacob Steinberg of The Guardian reports that the Gunners are closing in on West Ham’s prized asset and that they aren’t stopping there. Steinberg states that the North London side are “considering bidding” for the Brighton and Hove Albion man, who is “wanted by Chelsea”.
Chelsea Could Miss Out on Two Major Midfield Targets
Arsenal are close to agreeing a fee with West Ham for #Chelsea-linked Declan Rice and are expected to pay more than £100M if certain add-ons are achieved.
[via @JacobSteinberg]
— Absolute Chelsea (@AbsoluteChelsea) June 12, 2023
Declan Rice
Mikel Arteta’s side is set to win the race for the Englishman if the Guardian’s report is to be believed. They are set to beat their blue London rivals, Bayern Munich, Newcastle, and Manchester United to the signing of the Europa Conference League winner. The deal is reported to be worth £100 Million.
Read More: Chelsea Set to Miss Out on Midfield ‘Monster’ as Other Signings Prioritised
Incoming manager Mauricio Pochettino will likely be disappointed to miss out on the talented midfielder, especially as there is a gap next to Enzo Fernandez for a younger player to occupy with both N’Golo Kante and Mateo Kovacic both getting older.
Moises Caicedo
The real warning call for Blues fans will be the indication that Arsenal are prepared to pick up Caicedo in addition to Rice. The Ecuadorian is highly sought after by those at Chelsea and would make a perfect addition to a squad desperately in need of a defensive-minded midfielder to partner Fernandez.
According to Absolute Chelsea, the bidding for the 21-year-old could start at £70 million, although a bidding war could kick off between the two Premier League sides and drive that up. One thing is for certain, Todd Boehly and co. can’t risk missing out on both targets, especially with no progress being made on Manuel Ugarte.
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