£80m transfer target has chosen Chelsea over Arsenal as final negotiations happening now

After weeks and weeks of tracking Brighton and Hove midfielder Moises Caicedo, Chelsea have finally intensified their pursuit of the Ecuadorian in the last few days. Caicedo has always been a strongly linked to CFC since January.

The Blues tried to sign Caicedo in January but Brighton were reluctant to let the 21 year old leave back then. Caicedo ended up signing a new contract but he has a gentlemen’s agreement with Roberto Di Zerbi that he will be allowed to leave in the summer transfer window. The Blues have been well informed about Caicedo since January and now is the time to make a move for him.

Chelsea are planning a midfield revolution this summer as the likes of Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Mateo Kovacic and Conor Gallagher are expected to leave. N’Golo Kante will leave as a free agent and join Al Ittihad in Saudi Arabia. CFC tried to sign Manuel Ugarte but wasn’t willing to match PSG’s lucrative salary offer, which resulted in the Blues pulling out of the chase.

Moises Caicedo agrees to a Chelsea move

The West London outfit are not the only admirers of Caicedo. Their city rivals, Arsenal, have also been keen on the Ecuadorian too. They even launched an ambitious bid for him in winter. However, Brighton rejected the offer. This summer, Arsenal are concentrated on Declan Rice, although they maintain their interest in Caicedo.

However, CFC seem to have gotten their upper hand in the Caicedo race. According to Sky Sports Germany journalist Florian Plettenberg, Caicedo has decided to join Chelsea with final negotiations happening. Fabrizio Romano also confirmed that CFC are advancing in their pursuit. A contract proposal has been made and personal terms are close to being agreed. The Blues expect to pay a fee of around £80 million.

The 21 year old is attracted to the Chelsea project and is open to joining them despite CFC not being able to offer European football for next season. CFC and Brighton will start talks over the transfer fee next week and it is certain that Caicedo will leave Brighton this summer.

Acquiring Caicedo will give Chelsea a powerful midfield pivot of Enzo Fernandez and Caicedo. Mauricio Pochettino is yet to take over the reins at Cobham and hint at the system he’ll use at Chelsea but if he is to use a midfield pivot, Caicedo and Fernandez will be the prime candidates.

Will Moises Caicedo become Chelsea’s first signing of the summer?