Chelsea eyes Arsenal target after Ugarte deal fails

After pulling out of the race to sign Manuel Ugarte, Chelsea are expected to step up their pursuit of Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo. The west Londoners had agreed to pay more than his £52million release clause, but saw their deal hijacked at the eleventh hour by Paris Saint-Germain. Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has reported that Chelsea are likely to intensify their interest in the Ecuadorian, who they also tried to sign in the winter transfer window. However, they will face significant competition from Arsenal, with the Gunners also looking to bolster their midfield this summer. Mikel Arteta is a big fan of Caicedo and saw a bid worth £70m rejected by Brighton in January. Another potential option Chelsea could explore after missing out on Ugarte is Southampton’s Romeo Lavia, with the youngster – who is also on Liverpool’s radar – expected to be sold following the club’s relegation. Mauricio Pochettino is also looking to bring in a specialist defensive midfielder, a new goalkeeper and proven goalscorer to lead the line. Chelsea need to offload at least a dozen players due to how bloated their squad is.