Chelsea remain very much "in the race" to sign Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo in the summer transfer window, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.
Is Caicedo leaving Brighton this summer?
The Blues have a vital period ahead of them in the transfer market, as they look to forget all about a horrible 2022/23 season and kick on into the future. In order for that to happen, the right players need to come in, with incoming manager Mauricio Pochettino no doubt already eyeing up potential deals.
One player who looks set to be on the move on in the coming weeks and months is Caicedo, who enjoyed a superb campaign for Brighton, proving to be one of their most influential figures. The 21-year-old featured in 37 of his side's 38 Premier League matches – 34 of them were starts – and flourished alongside the likes of Alexis Mac Allister and Pascal Gross in the middle of the park.
A bigger challenge now lies ahead for him, however, and Chelsea are one of numerous top clubs who have been linked with a move for him, as well as the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool, in what looks set to be a fierce battle.
Are Chelsea in the mix to sign Caicedo?
Writing on Twitter, Romano said that Chelsea are right in the mix to sign Caicedo this summer, alongside Sporting CP midfield Manuel Ugarte:
"Chelsea remain absolutely INTO the race for Moises Caicedo. Nothing has changed. He’s in the list, 100% — no matter what happens with Ugarte deal, still ongoing."
Caicedo could be a fantastic signing by Chelsea if they manage to snap him up before the start of next season – Graham Potter has called him "fantastic" in the recent past – adding the legs and quality that their midfield badly needs.
The 30-time capped Ecuador international is already such an impressive player, despite his tenders years, with an average of 2.7 tackles per game coming his way in the Premier League in 2022/23, as well as an 88.8% pass completion rate. That shows what an effective all-round midfielder he is, so the difference he could make to the Blues could be immeasurable.
He is still so young, so he should only go up another gear in the next few years, and if Chelsea managed to sign both him and Ugarte, they could be the bedrock of a hugely exciting new-look midfield that also contains Enzo Fernandez, with Mateo Kovacic potentially leaving and N'Golo Kante now in his 30s.