Todd Boehly, owner of Chelsea, appears to be in for a hectic month of January. After claims that Christopher Nkunku's transfer from RB Leipzig to Stamford Bridge was "confirmed," Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Moises Caideo has officially been identified as the newest signing.
Caicedo, whose contract at AMEX Stadium expires in 2025, has made 14 appearances for the Seagulls this season and has one goal to his credit. The Ecuadorian international, who had trained with Graham Potter before transferring to Chelsea, has drawn interest from Real Madrid since joining the Premier League.
Independiente del Valle in Ecuador sold Caicedo to Potter in February 2021 for just £4.5 million. The midfielder played 16 times for Potter's team, and in the summer there were rumors of a reunion.
As we approach the January transfer window, Caicedo has been linked with a move to west London. Sky Sports have reported that the Blues are joined by Liverpool in the race to lure him away from Brighton following his performances in Qatar.
Caicedo started Ecuador's three World Cup games, scoring in the 2-1 defeat to Senegal. His performances during the winter tournament have only driven up his value with Brighton expected to demand more near to 10x what they paid for him.
Back in November, the 21-year-old expressed his hope of reuniting with Potter, giving Boehly the incentive to pay the Seagulls what they want for the midfielder. He told Ole: "I think they are one of the best teams in the world and nobody would turn down an offer from Chelsea or any other club like that. It’d be a dream to be in the best teams in the world and succeed there."
The midfield area is a position that Boehly and Potter are expected to be keen to add too, with both Jorginho and N'Golo Kante seeing their deals expire at the end of the season. Denis Zakaria's season-long loan from Juventus hasn't gone to plan as of yet whilst Mateo Kovacic's injury concerns have provided food for thought ahead of the January window.
Caicedo isn't the only Ecuadorian that Chelsea are reportedly eyeing up. The report claims Bayer Leverkusen centre-back Piero Hincapie has been identified as a potential alternative to Josko Gvardiol. However, like Caicedo, Hincapie would cost a hefty fee due to his contract with Xavi Alonso's side running until 2026.
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