Chelsea Transfer News Roundup: Blues prioritising move for Brighton midfielder; club not looking to offload Armando Broja, and more - November 9, 2022
Chelsea will face Pep Guardiola's Manchester City at the Etihad on Wednesday (November 9) in the third round of the EFL Cup. Graham Potter's wards are coming off a 1-0 home defeat to Arsenal in the Premier League at the weekend.
Meanwhile, the Blues are prioritising a move for a Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder next year. Elsewhere, acclaimed transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has said that the London giants are not planning to offload Armando Broja.
On that note, here's a look at the key Chelsea transfer stories as on November 9, 2022:
Chelsea prioritising Moises Caicedo move
Chelsea are prioritising a move for Moises Caicedo next summer, according to journalist Simon Phillips.
The Ecuadorian has been a revelation for Brighton & Hove Albion this season. He has emerged as a vital cog in Roberto De Zerbi's midfield, but the Seagulls could let him go if his £85 million valuation is met.
Speaking to Give Me Sport, Phillips said that the Blues could look to prise Caicedo away in January or next summer.
"He’s clearly been an important player during his time at Brighton. So, he’s a player that, if he becomes available, or Chelsea feel that they can do a deal for him in January, or in the summer, then they’ll certainly try for him. He’s clearly rated highly by Potter, and he’s quite high up on the list of potential midfield targets with Chelsea," said Phillips.
The 21-year-old has appeared 13 times for Brighton this season, scoring once.
Blues not looking to offload Armando Broja
Chelsea have Armando Broja firmly in their plans, according to Fabrizio Romano. The Albanian forward enjoyed a solid loan spell with Southampton last season and has been incorporated into the first team at Stamford Bridge this year.
However, Broja has struggled for chances, prompting interest from in and around the country.
Fabrizio Romano: “I’m sure Armando Broja is part of the Chelsea project as they strongly wanted to keep him and sign new long-term deal in September. There are no talks for potential loan, as of today. He needs to play to improve.”
chelsea-news.co/2022/11/no-tal… https://t.co/parZCWWqQW
However, in his column for Caught Offside, Romano said that the Blues want the player to sign a long-term deal at the club.
"I’m sure Broja is part of the Chelsea project as they strongly wanted to keep him and sign new long-term deal in September. There are no talks for potential loan, as of today; I think in 2023 the situation will be way more clear as he needs to play to improve,” wrote Romano.
Broja has appeared 16 times for the London giants this season across competitions and has registered one goal.
Fabrizio Romano names Jude Bellingham alternatives
Fabrizio Romano has named three players who could be able alternatives to Jude Bellingham. The Englishman is a hot property in European football at the moment and is wanted by a host of clubs around the continent, including Chelsea.
In his column for Caught Offside, Romano said that Declan Rice could be an alternative to Bellingham. However, he also warned that the West Ham United midfielder is likely to cost a fortune.
“I get asked a lot about Jude Bellingham at the moment, but another big-name midfielder fans seem to want to know about is Declan Rice. After all, if Man City, Liverpool, Chelsea and Real Madrid are all chasing Bellingham, only one of them can get him, and the rest will need an alternative,” wrote Romano.
He continued:
"Still, for Declan Rice we have to consider and respect West Ham; they always wanted almost €150m for the midfielder, and they feel protected by his current contract situation."
Which club will win the race for Jude Bellingham? ✍️ 🔥 https://t.co/BCgaUWf7hM
Romano named Youri Tielemans and Frenkie de Jong as two Bellingham alternatives.
"For whoever misses out on Bellingham, I think we can consider Youri Tielemans as a good alternative – he’s continuing to show that he’s a top midfielder, and he looks set to be on the move as a free agent, and let’s see what happens with Frenkie de Jong, if he’ll change his mind or not about his situation at Barcelona," wrote Romano.
Tielemans is in the final year of his contract with Leicester City and is likely to leave next year.