Chelsea

Chelsea

Premier League • England

Arsenal move delivers dagger to Chelsea deal despite respected source revealing open transfer talks

Moises Caicedo playing for Brighton.

Chelsea are in talks over the signing of Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo, but Arsenal could inadvertently thwart their hopes, it has been revealed.

Caicedo has been in impressive form for Brighton this season, leading to links with some of the Premier League’s bigger clubs. Although there have also been mentions of Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle, perhaps the most likely bidder could be Chelsea.

After all, Graham Potter is currently serving as Chelsea’s head coach, having previously got the best out of Caicedo on the South Coast. Even though Potter is under pressure, Caicedo still has plenty of backers at Stamford Bridge, such as director of global talent and transfers, Paul Winstanley.

Hence, Chelsea have been testing the waters for a potential deal for Caicedo. One reporter has revealed they have a price tag of around £65million in mind, which is lower than Brighton’s own estimation.

Some more details have filtered through. According to Ben Jacobs, who was the man to make the claim about the £65m enquiry, Brighton believe they can justify a strong stance to keep Caicedo in January.

Among their reasoning is the fact that they are on the verge of selling Leandro Trossard to Arsenal. His transfer is going to gain them £21m up front, plus a potential £6m in add-ons further down the line.

Therefore, Brighton are in no hurry to raise funds. With that in mind, they don’t want to deprive themselves of another key player partway through the season – especially when they are anticipating more interest in Caicedo in the summer.

Signing Trossard could thus be clever business by Arsenal, who will not only be strengthening their own squad but playing a part in preventing their rivals getting a crucial reinforcement of their own.

Chelsea talks continue for Caicedo transfer

Regardless, an update from the Daily Telegraph has confirmed that Chelsea have already held talks about a deal for Caicedo. Once again, it is reiterated that Brighton are holding out for more than £65m.

But Chelsea are especially eager to strengthen their midfield. After all, they are likely to let Jorginho leave at the end of the season and need to find a long-term successor to N’Golo Kante too, even if he ends up extending his own contract.

Hence, they are serious contenders for Caicedo and could end up testing Brighton’s resolve.

Chelsea have spent heavily since Todd Boehly became their owner. Therefore, they have the capability to compete for more expensive targets like Caicedo. They will have to ensure any deal is good value for money, though.

The Ecuador international is under contract at the Amex Stadium until 2025. He has made 20 appearances for Brighton so far this season, supplying one goal and assist each.

Standing out in his role as a defensive midfielder, he could thrive in the kind of roles Kante and Jorginho have occupied in recent years. But it will clearly require a lot of effort for Chelsea to get their man.

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