The summer transfer window has been open for almost a week, and Mauricio Pochettino is already planning some significant Chelsea transfers. Securing multiple outgoings appears to be the top concern right now, but it is starting to become more obvious that work is also being done to sign targets this summer.
Mateo Kovacic, Kai Havertz, and Mason Mount could all leave the team to join direct Premier League competitors if those players go. N’Golo Kante, who completed his Al Ittihad physical earlier this month in order to sign a four-year contract worth €100 million (£83.5), could be followed by Kalidou Koulibaly, Edouard Mendy, and Hakim Ziyech in finalising a move to Saudi Arabia.
Conor Gallagher won’t likely be a Chelsea player when the 2023–24 season begins, and Ruben Loftus-Cheek also appears headed for the exit. Making important signings has been somewhat glossed over due to the emphasis on those leaving west London, but Pochettino has two goals for Nicolas Jackson and Moises Caicedo for the coming week.
Jackson, a striker for Villareal, has a €35 million release clause, which Chelsea plans to match and pay in installments, according to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano. The Blues want to complete that signing by the end of the week after negotiations about that payment take place in the coming days and a physical is anticipated to follow.
Regarding Caicedo, it was revealed by football.london in May that Chelsea was anticipated to push for a deal to sign him from Brighton, and that is exactly what is taking place. Early in June, Stamford Bridge launched a bid for the midfielder in the amount of £60 million, but it was promptly rejected. The Blues now intend to send another offer after Brighton raised their asking price to almost £100 million.
Personal terms are not believed to be a significant obstacle, and Chelsea is now hoping to sign the 21-year-old this week, according to the Evening Standard.. A large sale or two that occur soon, especially with the June 30 FFP deadline drawing near, could aid the west Londoners in matching the price tag set by Brighton.
The interest in Caicedo was anticipated, but the connections to Jackson were a little unexpected. This summer, it was vital to add a striker, but many were anticipating an elite-level signing. It now appears, however, that Chelsea may have found the ideal candidate.
Jackson’s agent, Diomansy Kamara, told WiwSport: “We know his qualities. He must, however, keep working. We shall now watch to see what happens this summer. We are aware that there are a lot of players that could leave their current club at the start of the season.
“He wanted to play in the Premier League, but that didn’t work out. He then returned to work and erupted in Villarreal even more. It’s a club that we get along well with, like I stated. They gave Nicolas Jackson the chance to flourish and opened doors for him. We’ll always remember that. We won’t shut the door, though, if both parties can benefit by giving Villarreal money and creating a new sporting initiative for us.
“Right now, we have offers. We are currently assessing them, and you will soon learn more about their predicament.