Chelsea willing to pay over £60 million to sign 21-year-old midfielder after missing out on Enzo Fernandez - Reports
According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea are eyeing a move for Brighton & Hove Albion star Moises Caicedo after missing out on Enzo Fernandez in the summer .
Fernandez grabbed the eyeballs of European giants, including the Blues, with his performances for champions Argentina in the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. The west London-based club were heavily linked with the midfielder in the January transfer window. However, they were unable to reach an agreement with Benfica regarding a move.
Caicedo, 21, has made 20 appearances for Brighton & Hove Albion. The Ecuadorian also has a good understanding of Graham Potter's style of play due to the time they spent together at Brighton.
#Chelsea's interest in Moises Caicedo is concrete. Graham Potter likes him and knows him well. The club are 'really interested' in the midfielder and really appreciate him. He is one of the players on the list after missing out on Enzo Fernandez.
[via @FabrizioRomano / YouTube]
He could be a good addition to the team. Chelsea, though, will have to shell out a fee of £60 million to get the player (according to CBSportsGolazo).
Chelsea have concrete interest in signing Caicedo and would be prepared to pay over £60m. [@CBSSportsGolazo] #cfc
The Blues have struggled in midfield this season. Jorginho has struggled for form and fitness. N'Golo Kante is still out and is not expected to be back anytime soon. Juventus loanee Denis Zakaria and Carney Chukwemeka have been the only rays of hope for the Blues so far.
So adding a player of Caicedo's pedigree would be beneficial for the team. The player is only 21 and fits co-owner Todd Beohly's vision of creating a team for the future with players aged 25 or under.
Chelsea have made signings galore in January
Chelsea have already signed a few players in the ongoing January transfer window. David Datro Fofana, Andrey Santos, Benoit Badiashile and Mykhaylo Mudryk have joined the club on permanent transfers, while Joao Felix has arrived on loan for the season from Atletico Madrid.
Mykhaylo Mudryk has arrived from Shakhtar for a fee of close to €100 million plus add-ons, as Boehly beat league leaders Arsenal to the player. Mudryk, though, is happy to arrive at Stamford Bridge, saying after joining the Blues (via Mirror):
"This is a huge club, in a fantastic league, and it is a very attractive project for me at this stage of my career. I’m excited to meet my new teammates, and I’m looking forward to working and learning under Graham Potter and his staff."
The Ukrainian has 18 goal contributions this season.