Chelsea have been dealt a major setback in their pursuit of Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo after reportedly being quoted £100million. Reports claim that Arsenal’s groundbreaking £105m move for Declan Rice has set the benchmark for fees involving similar players.
The Blues have been linked with Caicedo but might face a major battle securing the Ecuadorian’s signature. Both Manchester United and Arsenal themselves have been linked with the Brighton ace.
Caicedo’s performances in his first full Premier League season caught the attention of some of Europe’s biggest clubs. However, it appears that Chelsea are leading the race for the 21-year-old starlet.
Arsenal might have created Chelsea’s biggest obstacle to a deal, though, with Rice set to arrive at the Emirates Stadium in the coming weeks. The England ace will undergo a medical and finalise the terms of his transfer on Friday.
According to the Daily Telegraph, Brighton believe the benchmark for any Caicedo deal will be the £105m Arsenal have paid for Rice. That price tag could scupper the West Londoners’ attempts to complete a move.
Chelsea have spent well over £600m since the Todd Boehly-led consortium completed its takeover in May 2022. The Blues broke the record for a fee paid by a British club when they spent £108m on Enzo Fernandez in January.
So a deal amounting to a similar price would surely not be something Chelsea would consider this summer. Even with just under £200m raised from the sales of Mason Mount, Kai Havertz, Kalidou Koulibaly, Mateo Kovacic, Edouard Mendy and Ruben Loftus-Cheek, it seems unlikely that the Blues will spend over £100m on one player for a while.
Arsenal have therefore struck a blow to Chelsea’s transfer plans. Rice – a former Chelsea academy prospect – is due at London Colney later this week to undergo a medical and finalise the personal terms of his blockbuster switch from West Ham.
New Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino has already been busy in the summer transfer window. It seems that the Argentine will still target a new midfielder even if Caicedo cannot be lured from Brighton.
Christopher Nkunku was the Blues’ first major arrival, with his £51m switch from RB Leipzig finally announced at the end of June. The 22-year-old striker Nicolas Jackson has also joined the Stamford Bridge outfit from Villarreal in a £30m move.
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