According to Nizaar Kinsella of the Evening Standard, Chelsea has compiled a shortlist of three midfielders to replace Mateo Kovacic during the summer transfer window.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Kovacic’s transfer to Manchester City for £30 million is set to be finalized this week, pending a successful medical examination and other formalities.
With Kovacic’s departure imminent, Chelsea has shifted its focus to finding a suitable replacement, and Kinsella has identified three potential candidates being considered by the Blues.
The primary target is Moises Caicedo from Brighton. Chelsea previously had a £60 million bid rejected for the Ecuadorian international. Caicedo is eager to make the move to Stamford Bridge, and Brighton is open to his departure if their asking price is met.
If Caicedo proves unattainable, Chelsea has lined up two alternative options. The first is Romeo Lavia from Southampton, who will be leaving the club following their relegation from the Premier League. Arsenal has also shown interest in the Belgian midfielder.
The second alternative is Amadou Onana, who stood out as one of the few bright spots for Everton, narrowly avoiding relegation last season.
Chelsea is undergoing a significant midfield overhaul this year, with their long-standing central midfield trio of Jorginho, Kovacic, and N’Golo Kante all set to depart. Jorginho moved to Arsenal in January, Kovacic is on his way to Manchester City, and Kante is leaving on a free transfer to Al-Ittihad.
Additionally, Ruben Loftus-Cheek is expected to be sold this summer, while the futures of Carney Chukwuemeka, Conor Gallagher, and Mason Mount are also uncertain.
In recent reports, Chelsea has been separately linked in the Italian media to Milan’s Sandro Tonali, who received a significant bid from Newcastle on Wednesday.
