Pochettino changes tack as Chelsea prepare £112m bid for untouchable Caicedo alternative wanted by Liverpool, Man City

Reports claim Chelsea are set to offer Real Madrid more than £100m for the signature of midfielder Federico Valverde this summer.

The Blues have jettisoned a number of stars during the off-season, with the likes of Mason Mount and Kai Havertz leaving. The Stamford Bridge outfit needed to balance the books after 18 months of heavy spending. Not all new recruits have been successful but they have already brought in Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson this summer.

It remains to be seen if those two work out but the latest target is tried and tested in LaLiga.

Valverde, 25, spent time in the Penarol youth setup back in Uruguay before joining Real in 2016.

After a year cutting his teeth with Real Madrid Castilla, the Uruguay international was loaned to Deportivo La Coruna for 2017-2018.

He enjoyed 25 top-flight outings for Herculinos before returning to the Bernabeu.

The South American made his first-team debut in October 2018 and has gone on to play 204 times in all competitions for Los Blancos.

He has been seen 138 times in the league, scoring 12 goals and registering 11 assists. But the talented schemer is about much more than the statistics.

His versatility makes him a manager’s dream, with the Montevideo-born ace able to play multiple positions.

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He can operate as a defensive midfielder, a right winger and has even been deployed at right-back.

Therefore it is no wonder that clubs have eyes on him and why Real value him so highly.

Liverpool rebuffed in Valverde pursuit

It was reported back in June that Liverpool were preparing a €90m bid for the midfield star.

Goal claimed that the sizeable offer had president Florentino Perez ‘wavering’ despite the fact Real do not want to sell.

Optimism of a summer transfer soon evaporated as 90min suggested Real had no intention of letting him go.

The trail has gone quiet for a few weeks but other suitors are now starting to show their hand.

Chelsea to test the water with mega-bucks Valverde offer

Chelsea have made multiple offers to sign Brighton star Moises Caicedo.

The Seagulls have refused to play ball and it appears as though the Ecuador international is going nowhere.

Therefore, with the new campaign rapidly approaching, Pochettino is looking for alternatives.

Spanish publication Nacional state that the west Londoners are keen to bring Valverde to the capital.

The report adds that owner Todd Boehly has ‘prepared’ a bid of €130million (£112m) to sign the man with 49 Uruguay caps.

They hope that figure will ‘break down the resistance’ from Perez over Real’s prized asset.

Whether it will work is open to debate but, if the report proves to be true, Chelsea are clearly looking to make a statement.

Valverde will reportedly earn five times the amount he does in Madrid if he pens terms with the Blues.

Real’s possible signing of Paris Saint-Germain star Kylian Mbappe might play a part.

The Spanish giants would need to raise funds to land the France international and Valverde’s sale would do just that.

Manchester City and PSG are rumoured to have enquired about the player this summer and received short shrift.

Chelsea may have put their money where their mouth is but it still might not be enough to land their target.

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