Chelsea need to bring in midfielders as soon as possible, having let the likes of N’Golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic, Mason Mount and Ruben Loftus-Cheek leave in the ongoing summer transfer window. Moises Caicedo is rumoured to be their top target but the Blues have found it difficult to reach a deal with Brighton & Hove Albion. And they appear to have their sights on a Real Madrid player as well.
Chelsea are already believed to have made four transfer bids for Caicedo. Brighton & Hove Albion have not accepted any of them though and are believed to be looking for a figure around £100 million for the Ecuadorian midfielder.
That is a steep figure for someone like Caicedo, who has made less than 50 appearances at the Premier League level. Thus, it is only natural for Chelsea to have their eyes on alternatives.
As reported by Nacional (via 90min), Chelsea have been linked with a £112 million deal for Federico Valverde. The Real Madrid midfielder has been linked with Liverpool as well.
Chelsea linked with £112 million move for Real Madrid player
Valverde was a key player for Real Madrid last season. Encouragingly, he showed a lot of improvement in the final third of the pitch, as he found the back of the net on twelve occasions.
At the same time though, it remains to be seen what the future holds for him at Real Madrid. The club have brought in Jude Bellingham this summer, which has increased competition in the middle of the park.
Carlo Ancelotti is trying out a 4-4-2 formation in pre-season, which provides an additional slot in midfield. But if things don’t work out or Kylian Mbappe joins the club, one would expect them to go back to a more familiar 4-3-3.
Till now, there have been no suggestions that Real Madrid are considering parting ways with Valverde. But the club have shown in recent years that they are ready to let players go if the right offer comes in.