Sources: Chelsea four-man shortlist revealed after ‘huge’ Todd Boehly reveal
Chelsea have shortlisted four midfield targets for the summer transfer window, sources have told Football Insider.
Frenkie de Jong, Moises Caicedo, Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham are all on the Blues’ shopping list at the end of the season, with Graham Potter keen to build a well-stacked midfield department.
The London club already flexed their financial muscle last summer and in the January window, spending £600million across both windows under new owner Todd Boehly.
Benfica midfielder Enzo Fernandez arrived for £107million as one of many marquee signings, and Potter wants to give the Argentinian a world-class partner in the summer.
De Jong, 25, sits top of the Chelsea shopping list, with Football Insider sources reporting on Saturday (11 March) that Boehly is a “huge admirer” and has made the Barcelona star a priority.
Of all four midfield targets, De Jong is considered the most acquirable due to Barcelona’s ongoing financial struggles and their well-known need to sell this summer.
Brighton’s Caicedo recently signed a new deal at the Amex Stadium and will be tough to pry away from the Seagulls, and Bellingham is set to be subject to a huge European bidding war this summer.
Rice is also wanted by multiple top teams and is likely to demand a nine-figure fee should he leave West Ham at the end of the season.
Chelsea will likely have to lure a new star midfielder to Stamford Bridge without the guarantee of Champions League football, with the Blues sitting 10th in the Premier League table and 11 points off top four.
In other news, Chelsea told to sign Kai Havertz replacement after what pundit has just seen – ‘they have to spend big…’