Chelsea completing a deal to sign Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Moises Caicedo is now at the "final stage", according to reliable journalist Rudy Galetti.
Is Moises Caicedo leaving Brighton?
Back in January, Brighton’s defensive midfielder was heavily linked with a move to Arsenal and he even penned an open letter on his social media channels confirming that he wanted to leave, but instead he ended up signing a new long-term contract until 2027, likely so that he could be sold for more during the summer.
The Ecuador international has recently been attracting significant interest from Mauricio Pochettino in SW6 with the Daily Mail claiming that the Blues have already seen a £60m opening offer rejected, but having seemingly since returned to the negotiating table, it appears that all financial roadblocks have been resolved.
The Stamford Bridge outfit will have a more healthy budget now that the likes of N’Golo Kante and Mateo Kovacic have been sold from their engine room, and the 21-year-old looks like he could be one of the central reinforcements making his way to London.
Are Chelsea signing Caicedo?
Taking to Twitter, Galetti revealed that Chelsea and Brighton are close to reaching a full agreement for the sale of Caicedo, with the player having already personally said yes to the giants in the Premier League. He wrote:
"Moises Caicedo, the talks between Chelsea and Brighton are entering in the final stage. Understand the 2 clubs agreed the fixed amount of the transfer (£75m) and now they are discussing the add-ons. Moises is keen to join CFC and he’s pushing for the move."
What could Caicedo bring to Stamford Bridge?
Chelsea and Pochettino will be aware that Caicedo is much stronger in the natural defensive midfield aspect of his game having recorded just one goal and assist in the top-flight last season, so he could bring an excellent layer of protection to the backline should he sign on the dotted line.
The Futbol Division client won 50 out of his 100 tackles during the previous campaign which was not only the highest-success rate but also the most made throughout the whole of his squad, via FBRef, alongside averaging 1.5 interceptions per game in the Premier League.
Brighton’s “Machine Man”, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, would also add wonderful versatility to the manager’s ranks with his ability to operate higher up in central midfield and even at right-back alongside his usual role, and if possible, he would only excel further under the leadership of Pochettino.
