Moises Caicedo ‘firmly on Chelsea radar’ despite N’Golo Kante news

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Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo is ‘firmly’ on Chelsea’s radar for the rest of the year despite an £112million move for Enzo Fernandez being close. The Blues are nearing a British transfer record to bring the Argentine in from Benfica this month.

Chelsea hope to make the World Cup winner their marquee addition of the winter window. Fernandez, 21, shone in Qatar at the end of last year and was named the tournament’s best young player which has turned the heads of clubs across Europe.

Graham Potter’s side are looking to do a deal that allows them to pay the player’s fee in yearly instalments rather than activating and paying his £106m release clause in one lump sum. But the London club may not be done there it seems.

CBS Sports report that Caicedo is also a major target for Potter and co this year, with Liverpool and Newcastle among the other clubs keen on the £60m-rated Ecuadorian. Chelsea’s interest comes despite it looking like N’Golo Kante will stay at Stamford Bridge.

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Both Kante and Jorginho are out of contract in the summer and despite the Frenchman’s injury issues in recent seasons, a new deal may soon be agreed. Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano reported recently: “Now the focus is on coming back from his injury but the last conversations with his agents have been positive.

“Positive conversations because Kante is prepared to accept different kinds of terms to stay at Chelsea. So a few months ago, it was really complicated and the feeling was for Kante to leave Chelsea on a free.

“Now it’s a 50/50 between Kante and Chelsea. There are chances for him to stay, there are chances for him to leave.” Yet the box-to-box Caicedo may still be a target even if Kante stays.

Potter knows the 21-year-old South American well having signed him from Independiente del Valle in February 2021 and installed him as a starter for the Seagulls earlier this season before his switch to Chelsea. He has been excellent for the high-flying south coast outfit.

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Chelsea also have Mateo Kovacic, Conor Gallagher, Carney Chukwuemeka, Mason Mount, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Cesare Casadei and Lewis Hall as options in midfield for next season. And Fernandez may also soon be added to that group.

But there is no doubt that having both Caicedo and Fernandez among Potter’s main picks in midfield would significantly strengthen the Blues’ chances of competing for major honours. Attacker Christopher Nkunku will also join from RB Leipzig for around £63m at the end of the season.

And Chelsea are also set to sign Benoit Badiashile, the Monaco defender, for £35m this month having already recruited Molde striker David Datro Fofana for £10.6m and Vasco da Gama midfielder Andrey Santos for £11m.

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