Chelsea Transfer News Roundup: Blues eyeing Tammy Abraham; club expected Moises Caicedo struggles, and more - November 4, 2023
Chelsea will make the short trip across London on Monday (November 6) to face leaders Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League. Mauricio Pochettino’s side will look to bring their high-flying neighbours down to the ground.
Meanwhile, the Blues are interested in AS Roma striker Tammy Abraham. Elsewhere, the London giants expected midfielder Moises Caicedo to struggle following his move to Stamford Bridge this summer.
On that note, here's a look at the key Chelsea transfer stories as on November 4, 2023:
Chelsea eyeing Tammy Abraham
Chelsea are planning a move for Tammy Abraham, according to Fichajes. The 26-year-old left Stamford Bridge in 2021 to join AS Roma and has done a decent job.
The Englishman has had 36 goals and 12 assists from 107 games across competitions for the Serie A side. His form has struck a chord with the Blues’ hierarchy, who are planning to bring him back to the club.
Mauricio Pochettino has seen his team struggle in the final third due to the lack of a proven No. 9. The Argentinean manager opted to allow Romelu Lukaku to leave on loan this summer to Roma, and the Belgian is no longer part of plans.
Pochettino has identified Abraham as a candidate to fill Lukaku’s shoes, and the London giants are planning to offer £45 million for his services.
Blues expected Moises Caicedo struggles
Chelsea expected Moises Caicedo to struggle following his high-profile move this summer, according to journalist Dean Jones.
The Blues paid Brighton & Hove Albion a British record £115 million for the services of the Ecuadorian this year. However, the 21-year-old has struggled to live up to expectations at Stamford Bridge.
Jones told Give Me Sport that Caicedo hasn’t fully come to terms with a change in system with the London giants.
“I've spoken to people about Caicedo early on in his time at Chelsea and what the expectations should be of him, especially at the figure that they signed him.
"People within Chelsea, that were reading it, really didn't have great early expectations of Caicedo. A lot of that comes from the system that he was playing in at Brighton and the difficulties there would be implementing that kind of performance into a team that works differently,” said Jones.
He continued:
"If you look at Brighton and the way they play, the zones that they're active in, and the sorts of jobs that they're given within their specific areas, it's very difficult to mirror those performances when you go into a different team with a different set-up and a different philosophy."
Caicedo was brought in as a replacement for N’Golo Kante, who left this summer.
Chelsea tempted to move for Ivan Toney
Dean Jones reckons the Blues could be tempted to move for Brentford hitman Ivan Toney in January.
The Blues remain in the market for a new No. 9 and have been linked with multiple players. Feyenoord striker Santiago Gimenez's name has been doing the rounds recently.
However, Jones told Give Me Sport that the London giants want a more established face for the job.
“It's a good value deal (Santiago Gimenez for £40m), and there's no doubt that will have some appeal, but from what I understand, they would look for somebody more established.
"Whether that's in European standing or in terms of having Premier League credentials, they want one or the other,” said Jones.
Jones also questioned the club’s decision to bring in Nicolas Jackson this summer to lead the line.
“I think it'd be a massive risk to bring in another player that the fans have little understanding of, and little expectation of, because it's just too hard for players to live up to it.
"They've already got in Nicolas Jackson, a player of promise. He's got that. I said from the moment he came in, he's a good signing, but he cannot be trusted to be Chelsea's main source of goals because he won't deliver enough,” said Jones.
He continued:
“There's no history of him scoring enough goals at a high enough level to show that he can carry the burden of being Chelsea's main number nine.
"And we're still in that situation right now. I think that Chelsea's temptation will be to go and spend almost double that amount on Ivan Toney, rather than take another punt on somebody actually fixing their problem."
Pochettino also has his eyes on Napoli striker Victor Osimhen.