Chelsea is not done with its January shopping spree, and Enzo Fernández and Moisés Caicedo are next on the wish list.
The pair of midfielders play for Benfica and Brighton respectively. According to The Guardian, Todd Boehly and company want to shore up the midfield with what could be two expensive signings. Chelsea already submitted bids for both players. Benfica turned down an eye-watering $110 million from Chelsea for the World-Cup-winning Fernández, while Brighton denied an offer over $60 million.
Those are high fees for some clubs, but par for the course at Stamford Bridge. Just this winter, Chelsea spent individual sums of $100 million, $40 million, $35 million and $11 million just for the loan of Joao Felix.
However, these signings are all either defenders or forwards. Or, these signings are young. Chelsea did purchase Vasco da Gama midfielder Andrey Santos. It would be a tall task to have the 18-year-old midfielder step right into the Premier League.
Therefore, Chelsea wants Fernández and Caicedo. These are proven players in the midfield, an area of openness for Chelsea.
Fernández and Caicedo on list of heavy-spending Chelsea
Despite all the spending, Chelsea continues to seek its next transfer market gem. Chelsea’s spending this winter more than quadruples the team that spent the second most, Arsenal.
There is some debate over the purpose and tactics of this record spending. On one hand, some of these signings are for the future. Young players loaded with potential signed contracts reaching eight years, a major gamble for Chelsea. Or, these signings are purely desperate. Chelsea sit in 10th in the Premier League table. The Blues have two wins in the last 11 Premier League games played. On top of that, it is out of the FA Cup and Carabao Cup. Manchester City made sure of that.
Not content with that performance, Boehly went on a splurge in the market, and Chelsea linked itself with any name near the rumor mill. In fact, UEFA is looking at modifying its Financial Fair Play rules to ensure no club can go as wild as Chelsea has, according to The Times. The long-term deals to step around FFP could be maximized at five years soon.
Regardless, Chelsea wants to capitalize on a major transfer window with Enzo Fernández and Moisés Caicedo.
PHOTO: IMAGO / ZUMA Wire
