Chelsea Transfer News Roundup: Blues suffer Gabriel Moscardo blow; Marc Guehi ready to return, and more - December 2, 2023
Chelsea are putting together final plans ahead of their game against Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday (December 3) in the Premier League. Mauricio Pochettino's side are tenth in the league after 13 games and are coming off a disappointing 4-1 defeat at Newcastle United last weekend.
Meanwhile, the Blues have suffered a setback in the attempts to sign Corinthians midfielder Gabriel Moscardo. Elsewhere, Marc Guehi is ready to consider a return to Stamford Bridge.
On that note, here's a look at the key Chelsea transfer stories as on December 2, 2023:
Chelsea suffer Gabriel Moscardo blow
Chelsea have suffered a setback in their quest to bring Gabriel Moscardo to Stamford Bridge.
According to Foot Mercato, Paris Saint-Germain are leading the race to sign the Brazilian midfielder. Moscardo is an emerging talent in South American football and is a target for the Blues. The London giants have offered €20 million for his services, but it was turned down by Corinthians.
The Parisians are willing to offer the Brazilian side €25 million for Moscardo. Club director Luis Campos is set to travel to Brazil to complete the formalities to secure the 18-year-old.
The player prefers a move to the Parc des Princes, as he's worried he might struggle for regular football at Chelsea.
Marc Guehi ready to return
Marc Guehi is willing to consider a return to Chelsea, according to 90 Mins. The English defender rose through the ranks at Stamford Bridge but opted to join Crystal Palace in 2021 in search of regular football.
He has found his place at Selhurst Park and is now a first-team regular at the Eagles. This season, Guehi has appeared 14 times across competitions, starting 12.
The Blues, meanwhile, have struggled to keep out goals, conceding 20 times in 13 league games. The Englishman has been named as a possible target for the London giants by transfer insider Ben Jacobs.
It now appears that the 23-year-old is also ready to return to his alma mater and set things right. However, he isn't looking for a move in the winter. Guehi's contract with Palace runs till 2026, and he could be a successor for Thiago Silva at Stamford Bridge.
Mauricio Pochettino outlines reason for Moises Caicedo's struggles
Mauricio Pochettino has given his reasons for Moises Caicedo's poor start to life at Chelsea.
The Ecuadorian midfielder was a commanding figure in the middle of the park for Brighton & Hove Albion last season. The Blues paid a reported British record £115 million for Caicedo this summer, but the player has not hit the ground running.
The 22-year-old has appeared 14 times across competitions for the London giants this season but has failed to convince. Speaking recently, as cited by The Irish News, Pochettino admitted that the frequent traveling for international games hasn't helped Caicedo.
"When we signed him, we knew what is going to happen. He’s an emotional guy, an emotional player that needs time to recover.
"It didn’t help also the international games, travelling to Ecuador, to South America. That is really tough every single month, two or three weeks then go 10, 12 days away, then come back sometimes with some injury," said Pochettino.
He continued:
“It’s not an excuse, but it’s the reality. Now we need time. Of course, I say (the team) always need to perform. That is our mentality. But, in some situations like his, we need to give time and not to be unfair in the way that we assess him."
Pochettino also pointed out that the situation was different from Enzo Fernandez, who arrived from Benfica in January and is now a prominent figure at Chelsea.
"It’s different because Enzo arrived last January. He was with different coaches here. He asked when we arrived for a period of holiday because he was tired after the World Cup and everything. He joined us in North Carolina," said Pochettino.
He continued:
“I cannot judge the past. Only I can talk from when we arrived (at Chelsea). We expect all, not only (these two), all the players, even the ones not too much involved, to push their level.”
Fernandez has appeared 15 times across competitions for the Blues this season, starting all but two games.