Chelsea learn the asking price of Enzo Fernandez alternative

Chelsea have been linked to Brighton and Hove midfielder Moises Caicedo. The Blues are looking to bolster their midfield and view Caicedo as a viable option.

The Enzo Fernandez saga has blown up and relations between Chelsea and Benfica are strained. Fernandez had a superb world cup and owing to his solid performances, Benfica were bracing for bids in the winter transfer window.

Chelsea had shown strong interest in signing the 21 year old Argentine and were also ready to pay in excess of the release clause amount to acquire the services of Fernandez. The former River Plate man has a deal with Benfica that runs till 2027 but has a release clause of £106 million. Other interested parties, Real Madrid and Liverpool, weren’t willing to go as high as CFC.

The Blues had already had a contractual agreement with Fernandez and had to negotiate the structure of the deal with the Portuguese. Chelsea couldn’t pay £106 million upfront as they would have violated the Financial Fair Play, so Chelsea and Benfica held talks to structure the payment in three installments. Benfica weren’t willing to accept three installments and the talks fell through.

Chelsea learn the asking price of Moises Caicedo

Now, there is no chance that Benfica will do business unless the release clause is paid, leaving the Blues with no option but to look elsewhere. Since Fernandez talks have fallen through, the links to Caicedo have surfaced again.

Brighton are aware of the interest that Caicedo’s performances have generated and are willing to sanction the transfer for the right price. Apart from Caicedo, even Brighton midfielder Alexis Mac Allister has been admired by some top clubs across Europe.

According to journalist Ben Jacobs, Chelsea are seriously exploring the situation as Caicedo remains a midfielder on their shortlist. Now, Caicedo isn’t exactly a like-for-like alternative to Fernandez but the Ecuadorian has been mighty impressive for Seagulls and can definitely help the midfield base at Stamford Bridge.

No talks have been held yet between the Blues and Brighton but if talks do progress, the Seagulls will hold onto their £70 million asking price on the lower end. Their valuation is between £70 million to £80 million and the Blues of London will have to shell out that sort of an amount to secure the services of Caicedo.

The 21 year old is also admired by Liverpool but as things stand, no club is in concrete talks to sign Caicedo. Now that Brighton’s valuation is clear, Chelsea will have to make a decision and it is unlikely that they can spend that sort of money in one go. If they do manage to strike a deal for Caicedo, CFC will have to instill an installment based payment system.

Will Chelsea sign Moises Caicedo?