Chelsea Set to Make £90m Fourth Bid for Caicedo as Pochettino Eager to Land Him

According to recent reports, Chelsea is showing great determination in their pursuit of Caicedo by preparing a fourth bid worth £90 million. The team’s manager, Pochettino, is reportedly very keen on bringing Caicedo to the club, adding to their eagerness to secure the player’s services

Chelsea is gearing up for their fourth raid as they plan to launch a bid for midfielder Moises Caicedo, with reports suggesting it could be valued at £90 million.

Mauricio Pochettino, the manager of Chelsea, is determined to sign the Ecuadorian midfielder from Brighton. However, Brighton is asking for a hefty £100 million fee, and they anticipate that Caicedo, who is 21 years old, will begin the season with them at the Amex Stadium.

Yesterday, both clubs reached an agreement on a £25 million fee for the transfer of Spanish goalkeeper Robert Sanchez from Brighton to Stamford Bridge.

The Blues are hopeful that their positive relationship with Brighton, having previously acquired their former manager Graham Potter and left-back Marc Cucurella for £62 million, will aid in finalizing a deal for Caicedo.

Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly’s bids of £60 million, £70 million, and £80 million for Caicedo have all been turned down. Mauricio Pochettino envisions Caicedo, who was acquired by Brighton for a mere £3.6 million from Independiente del Valle in 2021, as the perfect midfield partner for the £106 million Argentinian World Cup-winner Enzo Fernandez.

Southampton’s 19-year-old talent, Romeo Lavia, who is being pursued by Liverpool, is also being considered by Pochettino. However, Caicedo remains at the top of his priority list. Aside from Caicedo, Conor Gallagher, aged 23, is the only other senior midfielder at Chelsea, while 19-year-olds Carney Chukwuemeka and Andrey Santos are the next options in line.

They have allowed N’Golo Kante, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Matteo Kovacic, Mason Mount and loanee Denis Zakaria to leave this summer.

Chelsea and Arsenal looked at Caicedo in January when he issued a public plea to leave.

Then last month he admitted he “can’t say no” to “beautiful” Chelsea.

But, despite Seagulls boss Roberto De Zerbi saying late last season that Caicedo “deserves to play in another level”, owner Tony Bloom has no interest in selling him for less than £100m.

It was reported Brighton had received a bid from a mystery club who are believed to have offered more than Chelsea’s most recent offer.

Pochettino has been open with his desire to land a new midfielder.

Asked whether a new midfielder was enough for his squad after Chelsea’s pre-season clash with Newcastle, he replied: “That’s the idea. The club is working on that.

“We need to add a player there. We need one more with experience.

“It depends on the situation of different players. We need at least one more and we are working on that. It depends on what happens in the next few weeks.”

Despite facing challenges in agreeing on a fee for Caicedo with Brighton, Chelsea is making significant progress towards signing the club’s goalkeeper, Robert Sanchez. The Spanish goalkeeper will contribute to the club’s homegrown quota and offer competition for Kepa Arrizabalaga.

In addition to the goalkeeper’s potential signing, Chelsea has successfully completed the £23.5 million transfer of Rennes midfielder Lesley Ugochukwu, securing him on a seven-year contract.