Just In: Chelsea plot moves for Moisés Caicedo and Manuel Ugarte in midfield rebuild
Chelsea will combine their pursuit of Manuel Ugarte from Sporting Lisbon with an effort to get Moisés Caicedo from Brighton & Hove Albion as part of their rebuilding of their midfield.
After being named head coach, Mauricio Pochettino has made strengthening the midfield a top priority. Chelsea’s interest in Caicedo dates back to January, and they are competing with Paris Saint-Germain and Liverpool for Ugarte, whose contract has a £52 million release clause.
Caicedo, who is anticipated to leave Brighton, has also been tracked by Arsenal and Liverpool. The international midfielder from Ecuador has excelled since joining the team two years ago and has made a name for himself as one of the finest in the Premier League this year. He was a target for Arsenal in January.
Brighton is known for being a firm negotiator and values Caicedo highly. They might not even consider selling the 21-year-old without at least £80 million. Alexis Mac Allister is expected to be sold by Brighton as Liverpool are the front-runners in the market for the Argentine midfielder.
Chelsea will be making a significant purge and must sell after spending over £600 million over the last two transfer windows. A goalie, a striker, and additional depth in midfield are all needed to support Enzo Fernández. They are set to transfer Mason Mount and Mateo Kovacic to Manchester United and Manchester City, respectively, after selling Jorginho to Arsenal in January. N’Golo Kanté has not yet extended his contract, which is about to expire. Ruben Loftus-Cheek is desired by Milan.
It is uncertain whether Brighton will try again to recruit Chelsea’s Levi Colwill. Colwill just completed a one-year loan at Brighton, who last week had a £30 million proposal for the defender rejected. The 20-year-old is not for sale, according to Chelsea. Brighton might be given the opportunity to borrow Colwill from Chelsea as part of a deal for Caicedo.