The Chelsea Football Manager/FIFA mash-up season looks set to continue before the conclusion of the January transfer window as the Blues have closed on a £120m deal for SL Benfica’s young midfield talisman Enzo Fernández one month after the 21-year-old helped Argentina lift it’s third World Cup trophy.
Under the financial hegemony of Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital’s Behdad Eghbali, the Blues have shown no signs of slowing down during the 2022-23 season after blitzing both the summer and winter transfer windows and may now be positioning themselves to close out the winter window in stunning fashion by reportedly considering a late move for Brighton youngster Moisés Caicedo according to The Guardian’s Jacob Steinberg.
Chelsea closing in on £115m deal for Enzo Fernández and could make late push for Moises Caicedo tomorrow. Arsenal in for Jorginho https://t.co/0dVCsNIVhP
— Jacob Steinberg (@JacobSteinberg) January 30, 2023
Chelsea had already submitted a bid for the 21-year-old Ecuadorian international, who also patrolled the midfield in Qatar during the international break, but the Seagulls promptly turned away their £55m offer. Premier League leaders and bitter domestic rivals Arsenal have also been hot on the trail of Caicedo, with the Gunners having submitted two bids to Roberto De Zerbi’s high-flying outfit in the form of £60m and £70m offers that were also summarily dismissed.
Brighton remains adamant that Caicedo is not for sale at any price this late in the window given how the player is viewed as irreplaceable with less than 48 hours left to do business during a season where the club is in the thick of the fight for a finish in the European places, with Arsenal now reportedly pivoting to a possible deal for Jorginho as a plan B option.
That reality may not stop Chelsea, however, who have the full weight of financial support from Boehly and Egbahli as the club looks to not only get back on track this season but build for the long haul under the new regime in the coming post-Abramovich era.
The Blues have already gazumped Arsenal to two January signings after securing a loan deal for Atlético Madrid ace João Félix and Shakhtar Donetsk’s Ukrainian wonderkid Mykhailo Mudryk, so for the club to try to steal a march on a rival for a third time in a matter of weeks could certainly be a feather in the new ownership’s cap.
