Chelsea are looking at alternatives to Moises Caicedo after growing weary by a distinct lack of progress in their move for the £100million-rated Brighton midfielder
Chelsea are mulling over a move for PSG midfielder Leandro Paredes, who spent last season on loan at Juventus (Image: Icon Sport via Getty Images)
Chelsea are considering a swoop for PSG midfielder Leandro Paredes following several frustrating weeks negotiating with Brighton for Moises Caicedo.
The Blues are desperate to land the 21-year-old Ecuadorian, but after three staunchly rejected bids the mega money move is on a knife-edge.
There’s confidence within the club that a deal can still be done, particularly as Caicedo is keen on the move, but in case talks break down several alternatives have been put forward, including an approach for Paredes.
Convincing the Argentine to move to Stamford Bridge shouldn’t be a problem, especially since he worked under Mauricio Pochettino in Paris and Chelsea’s £105m man Enzo Fernandez is a good mate of his, though fans aren’t so sure he’s the answer.
“When you look at the alternatives we’ve lined up for Caicedo, I’ll be willing to pay £150m just so that none of the alternatives step foot into Stamford Bridge. It’s beyond embarrassing,” one fan tweeted.
Another fumed: Paredes is a decent squad option, but calling him an alternative to Caicedo is a joke,” while a third added: “How embarrassing after being so confident we’d land Caicedo after chasing him for months.”
“What have we become?” another asked, “going from the hottest young midfielder in the world to a 29-year-old squad player with no re-sale value.”
LUSAIL CITY, QATAR – DECEMBER 13: Leandro Paredes, Enzo Fernandez and Alexis Mac Allister of Argentina warm up prior to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 semi final match between Argentina and Croatia at Lusail Stadium on December 13, 2022 in Lusail City, Qatar. (Photo by Clive Bruns𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁/Getty Images)
(Image: Getty Images)
Paredes has been at PSG since 2019 but spent last season on loan at Juventus. He featured regularly under Pochettino during his countryman’s 18-month stint at the Parc des Princes, but never quite managed to nail down a starting spot.
Previously, he turned out for Zenit St Petersburg, Roma and Boca Juniors and spent time on loan at both Chievo and Empoli. He featured heavily in Argentina’s glorious World Cup-winning campaign last year, playing in all but two matches.
He started the semi-final against Croatia and netted shootout penalties against Holland and as well as against France in the final. It was also Paredes’ wayward blast at the Dutch bench that sparked a brawl between the two sides during their feisty encounter in the quarters.
