Chelsea have been dealt a great boost in their bid to sign Moises Caicedo as well as completing other important pieces of business this summer. The Blues have made the 21-year-old one of their main priorities for the window, football.london understands, and see him as a primary target.
After several bids were rejected by Brighton in the winter it is expected that Chelsea will have to go beyond the £70million mark, especially with a secret bid being made for the player last week that was once more sent back swiftly.
As negotiations with Tony Bloom have tended to, this one looks set to stumble on with Arsenal also remaining interested in the player. Whilst the Seagulls value their prize asset at over £100million and he did only sign a new long-term contract extension in March, there is hope that the price will be dropped.
Chelsea are also exploring the chance of reducing the cost with players going the other way in part-exchange for Caicedo. Conor Gallagher is a player of interest to the south coast side, as is Levi Colwill but Mauricio Pochettino is keen that the 20-year-old defender will not be going anywhere.
Colwill is seen as the future of the club's defence and has already seen two bids rejected out of hand. As the back and forth between the two clubs once more goes on for another summer, there is still a positive to take for it all. Chelsea have already done a lot of the ground work to sign Caicedo.
After securing a first signing under Pochettino with the teenage sensation of Kendry Paez being officially announced last month, talks and agreements have already been had with the same agent group as Caicedo's. Paez was initially speaking to Chelsea during Graham Potter's reign but was only announced once Pochettino had arrived at the club.
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The 16-year-old Ecuador international will now spend the next two years back on loan at Independiente until he can join up with Chelsea after his 18th birthday. For £16million it is quite the gamble to take but Chelsea have already shown their willingness to do business in the youth department and are set to continue that.
In relatively unknown striker Nicolas Jackson they have set their sights on one of the most in form forwards in Spain. His £29million release clause also makes for a cheap deal in the current market, once more he shares the same agency group as Paez and Caicedo.
With Jackson now set for a medical in London this week he is gearing up to become the second new signing under Pochettino's watch and paves the way for Caicedo to follow. As a Senegal international, Jackson does not fit with the Ecuadorian midfield duo of Paez and Caicedo but has agreed terms through his agent and once more the club's swift work is set to bring them rewards.
Chelsea are now focusing their attention on first team ready midfielders with Caicedo at the forefront of their minds. If work with their other two early activities is anything to go by, it's a good sign.
Who would you keep or sell at Chelsea this summer...
