Chelsea plot a midfield revamp with Ugarte and Caicedo

Chelsea are planning to restructure their midfield by selling a few stars and bringing Manuel Ugarte and Moises Caicedo, according to The Guardian.

Chelsea are in talks to sell midfielders Mason Mount, Mateo Kovacic, and Ruben Loftus-Cheek. They will sign defensive midfielders to replace them.

The Blues have been without a defensive midfielder since 2017 when Nemanja Matic left for Manchester United.

They have failed to address the problem despite former bosses Frank Lampard and Thomas Tuchel noting it.

Incoming boss Mauricio Pochettino is not taking any chances and is pushing to add two defensive midfielders.

Chelsea are already in advanced discussions with Ugarte and have told his club, Sporting CP, that they are ready to match his €60 million release clause.

However, they face competition from Paris Saint-Germain. Les Parisiens also want a defensive midfielder and have the Uruguayan destroyer on their radar.

Also, the Ligue 1 champions have reportedly offered a higher salary than the Londoners. But the player is keen on a move to the Premier League and is ready to negotiate with Chelsea.

After signing Ugarte, Chelsea will push for Brighton & Hove Albion’s Caicedo. The Ecuador international star has become one of the best holding midfielders in the league.

Furthermore, he showcased his versatility, playing as a right-back when coach Roberto De Zerbi asked.

Brighton will likely demand a massive sum for the 21-year-old. The reports mention that Brighton want at least £80 million for Caicedo.

They rejected a bid from Arsenal in January for the midfielder even though he handed in a transfer request.

The former Independiente del Valle man performed a U-turn and signed a new contract. 

However, Chelsea and Arsenal could return for him this summer. The Gunners retain their interest in Caicedo from January, especially as they face fierce competition from Bayern Munich for Declan Rice.

The Bavarians are muscling forward with a deal for the West Ham United defensive midfielder. Losing Rice will likely force them to push for Caicedo.