Chelsea to smash Caicedo record with ‘MAMMOTH’ Brighton transfer

Chelsea are ready to make a ‘mammoth’ bid for Carlos Baleba in the summer, according to a report.

The Blues have not been afraid to break transfer records since the Todd Boehly-Clearlake Capital takeover in 2022, signing Enzo Fernandez for €121 million in January 2023 before setting another British record six months later with a €133m move for Moises Caicedo.

The latter arrived from Brighton and was replaced by the Seagulls with Carlos Baleba, who joined from Lille for €27m as the direct successor to the Ecuador international.

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The 21-year-old has been another resounding transfer success and given that Brighton has been a happy hunting ground for Chelsea in recent years, his form has not gone unnoticed by the Stamford Bridge hierarchy.

Indeed, TEAMtalk claims that the Blues have already earmarked the Cameroonian as a potential summer reinforcement.

Chelsea want Baleba

It is asserted that Chelsea have already held preliminary discussions with Brighton over a potential transfer and that they even floated the idea of a January move, although that suggestion was quickly shot down.

However, the door appears to be open for a potential summer move – but only at the right price. The report states that Chelsea would be prepared to make a ‘mammoth’ offer for the youngster in the next transfer window.

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It appears as though Baleba could even fetch a bigger fee than Caicedo as Brighton believe that he is a more well-rounded and complete player than his predecessor, who is primarily focused on the defensive aspect of his midfield duties.

Baleba also has suitors elsewhere, particularly in Italy, although it is difficult to imagine any Serie A side being willing – or, in fact, able – to pay €100m or more for a midfielder, especially after the ‘capital gains’ drama of the early 2020s.