Chelsea have reportedly had a second bid worth £70million for Moises Caicedo rejected by Brighton and Hove Albion.
The Pensioners must strengthen their midfield unit after selling Mateo Kovacic, N’Golo Kante, Mason Mount and Ruben Loftus-Cheek this summer, having also parted ways with Jorginho during the January transfer window. It is understood that the west London club have raised over £230m by offloading 11 players.
According to Evening Standard, Chelsea are preparing a third bid for Moises Caicedo, who wants to move to Stamford Bridge this summer having already agreed personal terms with the Blues a month ago.
The Blues’ latest bid was worth a fixed £70million with no add-ons but has been turned down as Brighton hold out for around £100m for the Ecuador international. The report adds they hope to find a compromise closer to £80m for the defensive midfielder, but negotiating a deal with the Seagulls will be tough.
Caicedo, 21, has established himself as one of the best midfielders in the Premier League in the last 12-15 months, playing a key role in Brighton finishing sixth last season and subsequently qualifying for the Europa League. Following a breakout season at the Amex Stadium, Chelsea have done their due diligence and feel the 21-year-old is the perfect option to bolster their midfield.
Moises Caicedo to Chelsea—Smashing signing?
Midfield reinforcements are Chelsea’s key focus after their recent fire sale that saw the likes of Mount, Kante, Kovacic and Loftus-Cheek all leave Stamford Bridge.
The exodus of talent has left Mauricio Pochettino with a lot of room to manoeuvre in midfield, with the new Chelsea boss making Moises Caicedo his priority target after losing Manuel Ugarte to PSG earlier this summer.
A defensive midfielder by trade, Caicedo can also operate in a box-to-box midfield role as well as at right-back—as documented in the last few games for Brighton during the 2022/23 season. The Ecuador international excels in breaking up play, winning back possession and recycling it quickly—a profile Pochettino wants in his midfield to free up record-signing Enzo Fernandez next season.
Fernandez, following his big-money move from Benfica on the January transfer deadline day, made an immediate impact at Chelsea, even if it came during a particular Premier League low point in their history. The World Cup winner was playing last season as part of a double pivot, with his partner often changing by the week as the Blues struggled to find a cohesive style of play under then-interim boss Frank Lampard.
Pochettino is desperate to bring in Caicedo and that could be down to letting Fernandez play higher up the pitch and showcase his attacking qualities on a more regular basis. Plus, having an efficient ball-winner like Caicedo would give Chelsea’s midfield balance as well as some much-needed protection to their backline after their last season’s horrendous defensive displays.
Chelsea are readying a third bid for Caicedo as they want to deliver Pochettino his No.1 midfield target. As a long-term investment in Fernandez has already been made in January, bringing in Caicedo this summer would be superb business from the Blues.