Chelsea's move for Brighton star Moises Caicedo could be heavily impacted by their rivals Arsenal completing the signing of Declan Rice this summer. It comes as the Blues are looking to build upon their squad once again, following a flurry of exits, with a few more to come.
The previous campaign saw the west London outfit record a worst Premier League finish in 12th place, with a bloated dressing room that had to be addressed before the new season. Ten departures have already been confirmed, meaning that attention can turn to signings.
A particular area of concern that needs to be looked at is the midfield, with the loss of Jorginho, N'Golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic, Mason Mount and Ruben Loftus-Cheek in recent months leaving very few options. Enzo Fernandez and Conor Gallagher are the only remaining first-team players at Mauricio Pochettino's disposal at this time.
That's where a move for Caicedo has come into play, with the Brighton star matching plenty of what the side are looking to add. Not only is he young, aged just 21-years-old, which suits the current profile of the squad, but he has plenty of Premier League experience and has shown he can shine.
The Ecuadorian international has played as a deeper midfielder for the Seagulls, where his defensive ability has impressed many, but his comfort on the ball makes him highly valuable too. It means that any move for a player of that quality and in that age range is going to cost a lot.
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And, according to the Telegraph, it could well rack up to over £100million as Brighton look to gain maximum value from their midfielder. The price is said to be intertwined with rivals Arsenal and their move for Declan Rice, with the England international set to make the move to north London for a club record £105million fee - also a record for a British player.
There may be arguments for both being worth more than the other, with Rice having more experience compared to Caicedo being younger with more years ahead of him. It remains to be seen if Chelsea would meet such a high price for the midfielder, but it's clear they need some reinforcements in the central ranks.
