Chelsea Told To Splash The Cash For Midfield Target Whose Club Rate Him ‘In The Same Bracket As Caicedo’

BACKChelsea would have to shell out a similar fee to what they paid for Moises Caicedo if they want Carlos Baleba, according to reports.TalkSPORT claims that the Blues are among “several top clubs” who have been scouting the Brighton midfielder this season.However, the radio station say that Seagulls chairman Tony Bloom rates both Baleba and teammate Joao Pedro “in the same bracket as Caicedo”.That would mean Enzo Maresca’s side would have to splash out in excess of £100m if they want to secure the 21-year-old’s signature this summer.Baleba was signed as Caicedo’s replacementBrighton snapped up the Cameroon international from Lille for €30m in late August 2023, just a couple of weeks after offloading Caicedo to Chelsea.Many regard Baleba as the Ecuadorian’s successor, although it has taken him some time to settle into English football. He started just 15 league games last campaign, but he has already surpassed that total under the management of Fabian Hurzeler this campaign.Chelsea are likely to add another midfielder to their squadMany feel that, with new signing Dario Essugo and returning loanee Andrey Santos expected to become part of the first-team squad next season, another recruit in the middle of the park may not be required.However, Romeo Lavia’s fitness situation remains a big concern. Maresca confirmed in his pre-match press conference on Wednesday that the Belgian has suffered another injury setback – his seventh since moving to Stamford Bridge at the start of the 2023/24 campaign.Baleba may well be seen as a replacement for Lavia. Of course, it is unlikely that the Blues would be willing to match Brighton’s reported asking price so the chances of this deal going ahead at the moment look pretty low.If you would like to read more stories like this, visit our Chelsea Transfer news pageDavid TullyDavid has worked as a football reporter for the last fifteen years. Having started as an intern at Snack Media, he then went on to become a freelancer, working on various different sites. At the start of 2023, he took up his current role as content writer for National World’s Football News Network.