Mauricio Pochettino will start working officially from next week and he needs to start stitching the Chelsea squad together, as per transfer expert Dean Jones.
The Blues have already sanctioned the departure of as many as eight players this summer, with the likes of Mateo Kovacic, N’Golo Kante, and Kai Havertz being shipped out.
Bolstering the midfield is a priority for the Argentine boss after Chelsea reached an agreement to sell Mason Mount to Manchester United.
With Declan Rice one step closer to joining Arsenal, the Blues have turned now their attention towards signing Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo instead.
Fabrizio Romano claimed on 29 June that the Blues will start negotiating with Brighton over the potential move of the 21-year-old midfielder.
While agreeing personal terms won’t be a big problem, the real difficulty lies in reaching an agreement with Brighton who could demand a massive transfer fee.
What Jones has said about Moises Caicedo
Speaking exclusively to Sportsbuffer, Jones says that Caicedo will be a part of Chelsea’s recruitment drive.
Brighton could look to hike up the player’s valuation and Jones says he “would be very surprised” if they demand around £100m. He expects the Blues to bid around £80m.
Jones said, “Chelsea will soon begin their own recruitment drive now and of course Moises Caicedo will be part of that.
“I would be very surprised if that transfer ends up getting to the £100million mark even though I do see why Brighton would use the market to hike up his valuation.
“Chelsea are likely to go in at around £80million and from there we shall see how Brighton negotiate.
“Mauricio Pochettino starts work next week officially and Chelsea really do need to start stitching the squad together. It is all over the place at the moment, it is difficult to see how he gets everything in shape quick enough to make a good start to next season.”
The Ecuadorian international has emerged as one of the best holding midfielders in the Premier League since making his debut in 2021.
His tremendous performance for the Seagulls last season helped them qualify for the Europa League for the first time in their history, and he could be the perfect replacement for Kante who moved to Saudi Arabia.
The Blues, however, will need more midfielders in their ranks, and Pochettino is expected to delve into the market to replenish the void.
