Chelsea have been handed huge boost in the race to sign Moises Caicedo this summer, with Mauricio Pochettino eager to further bolster his midfield options. The 21-year-old starlet was heavily linked with a move to Arsenal in the previous transfer window, but but Brighton blocked his exit.
football.london understands that Arsenal submitted two bids for the Ecuador international in January, though both were swiftly rejected. Then, in March, Caicedo penned a new long-term deal, keeping him at the Amex Stadium until 2027.
Initially, it seemed as if his extension would rule out a move in the near future, but that doesn't seem to be the case with Chelsea expected to make a move in the coming weeks. football.london understands that, while the west Londoners hold an interest in the Ecuadorian, they're hesitant that he could cost in the region of £100million.
While Arsenal may have been prioritising a move for Declan Rice, the prospect of the Gunners revisiting a deal for Caicedo has always loomed over the Blues. And, with Manchester City entering the frame for the West Ham captain, Todd Boehly might have been getting a bit nervous.
However, Chelsea have held their nerve and their patience looks set to pay off. According The Times, the Gunners have withdrawn from the race to sign Caicedo – but Manchester United have taken their place.
Whether the west Londoners get their hands on the Brighton ace or not, he's certainly in the shop window. Following Brighton's defeat to Aston Villa on the final day of the Premier League season, Roberto De Zerbi admitted that Caicedo may have just played his last game for the club.
The Italian said: "I think that can be the last game of Alexis and Moises, I'm really sorry. They are two great people and two great players. We are ready.
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"We have to find other big players to play without Alexis and Moises. If you ask me about Caicedo and Mac Allister, I love them and they are two big, big players and can be in a big, big European team.
"They can play in every competition and are ready to compete for a big team and I hope for them they can play in the best team in the world," added the Italian. "For Brighton we can still improve [without them] and we can bring in other good players with the transfer market
"Next year we will be playing in four competitions, the Premier League will be tougher for us for sure and we have to be stronger than this year. At the moment we are not ready to play three games per week, but we are not used to that.
"We will have to work in the transfer market and build a stronger squad with more players. The results we achieved were incredible, but we have the dream to improve these results."
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