Chelsea 'will open talks soon' over signing £70m star at Stamford Bridge | OneFootball

Chelsea are interested in signing Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Moises Caicedo, although there is still plenty of work to be done to secure the Ecuadorian's signature, Dean Jones has told GIVEMESPORT.

Several other Premier League clubs, such as Chelsea's London rivals Arsenal, have also expressed interest in Caicedo, with the Seagulls setting an asking price upwards of £70 million.

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Chelsea news - Moises Caicedo

This is not the first time Caicedo has found himself at the epicentre of a potential transfer saga involving both Chelsea and Arsenal.

In the most recent January transfer window, both clubs submitted bids for the 21-year-old but were ultimately unsuccessful in their quests and Caicedo eventually signed a contract extension with the seaside club.

But, ahead of what is likely to be a chaotic summer for the player, Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi has told SkySports that Caicedo could leave the club in the summer.

With such a high asking price set and the fact that so many clubs are interested in the midfielder, this is a saga that could last the entirety of the summer transfer window.

What has Dean Jones said about Caicedo?

While Chelsea have retained their interest in the player, Jones has revealed that the deal will not be an easy one for the Blues to get over the line.

Speaking exclusively to GIVEMESPORT, Jones said: "They certainly will open conversations soon to discover what it's actually going to take them sign him.

"You know, they really like him. But there's not a bottomless pit of money here and Brighton aren't a walkover when it comes to making signings. So there's still quite a bit of work to be done if they want to get it over the line."

Do Chelsea need Moises Caicedo?

At face value, it may seem as though midfield is the one area of the pitch that Chelsea do not need to strengthen in, with a goalscorer widely considered to be the priority.

However, with N'Golo Kante ageing, Manchester City set to begin holding talks with Mateo Kovacic and The Guardian reporting that Chelsea have pulled out of a move for Manuel Ugarte, it should be no surprise that the West London club are targeting a player to strengthen them in the middle of the park.

Caicedo is a young, dynamic midfielder with great versatility - so much so that he has even featured at right wing-back under De Zerbi this season.

Alongside Enzo Fernandez, the 21-year-old would likely form a fantastic midfield partnership, however, as Jones alluded to, the deal is still a long way from being completed and, at this stage, anything could happen.