According to Fabrizio Romano on The Residency, Chelsea have reached an agreement on personal terms with Brighton player Moises Caicedo, signalling an important transfer for Mauricio Pochettino’s team.
The Blues have shown interest in the Ecuadorian midfielder, as have Man United. However, Chelsea seems to have taken a significant step ahead of their Premier League rivals in securing Caicedo’s services.
He is considered an ideal partner for Enzo Fernandez in Pochettino’s midfield, as the Blues aims to recover from their disappointing 12th-place finish in the previous season. Furthermore, there are indications that negotiations have progressed positively for Chelsea.
It has been revealed that personal terms between Caicedo and the West Londoners have been agreed upon for several weeks, with only minor details remaining to be resolved.
However, the main challenge for Chelsea now lies in reaching an agreement on the transfer fee with Brighton. The Seagulls have reportedly set a price tag of over £100 million for the midfielder, following their recent sale of Alexis Mac Allister.
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They consider Caicedo to be in the same valuation range as Declan Rice, who is also being pursued by Arsenal and Manchester City for a similar fee.
It is worth noting that Chelsea and Brighton have a history of successful negotiations, with Graham Potter and key backroom staff making the move to Stamford Bridge last summer alongside Marc Cucurella.
Additionally, Levi Colwill and Billy Gilmour went in the opposite direction on loans as part of previous deals between the clubs.
Brighton has shown interest in several Chelsea players, including Levi Colwill, for whom they have made a rejected permanent offer. Conor Gallagher and Armando Broja are also reportedly on Brighton’s shortlist, which could facilitate negotiations for Caicedo’s potential transfer.
However, it remains to be seen if Chelsea would be willing to spend up to £100 million on the defensive midfielder, as the club is adopting a more cautious approach following their significant spending in the previous transfer windows.
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The Blues are expected to receive a substantial cash influx from player sales, with the likes of Kai Havertz, Mateo Kovacic, N’Golo Kante, Hakim Ziyech, Kalidou Koulibaly, and Edouard Mendy among those potentially leaving Stamford Bridge.
Mason Mount could play a significant role for the club in this deal. If Chelsea lowers their valuation of Mount and allows him to join United, it could pave the way for Chelsea to secure Caicedo without the possibility of a bidding war.
