Chelsea make over £100m by selling four players as transfer plans stepped up

23 June 2023 , 05:48

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Chelsea make over £100m by selling four players as transfer plans stepped up

Chelsea are preparing to part ways with four first-team figures in Arsenal-bound Kai Havertz, Hakim Ziyech, Kalidou Koulibaly and Edouard Mendy for a whopping combined fee of £107million.

The Blues are aiming to offload the latter three to different Saudi Arabian clubs in an attempt to generate enough transfer funds of their own to launch a move for Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo. The Ecuadorian international is thought to be keen on the Stamford Bridge switch and personal terms are unlikely to be an issue.

It looks like recently appointed manager Mauricio Pochettino will be armed with a significant amount to spend in the transfer market purely as a result of the amount of sales expected in west London. As many as seven Chelsea regulars could all leave in the coming days.

N'Golo Kante has already parted ways to join Saudi outfit Al-Ittihad, while Matteo Kovacic is expected to be officially unveiled as a Manchester City player in the coming days.

Fan favourite Mason Mount is the subject of intense interest from both Liverpool and Manchester United, with the latter already seeing two of their bids for the England international rejected. Whichever of the two he ends up at, Mount is unlikely to be playing his football in the capital next term as Chelsea hold out for £60m from any potential buyer.

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Arsenal have agreed a deal to take Germany international Havertz to the Emirates. The 24-year-old has been actively pushing for the move and has already reached an agreement with the Gunners over personal terms.

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Moises Caicedo has been linked with a move to Chelsea (Getty Images)

All of these departures mean Chelsea, at least in theory, should have no trouble meeting Brighton's £80m asking price for Caicedo. The Blues saw a £60m bid for the 21-year-old rejected two weeks ago and are yet to go back in with a new offer.

It is believed that those running the show at Stamford Bridge are desperate to land Caicedo and then partner him in midfield with club-record signing Enzo Fernandez in midfield next season.

While Pochettino is yet to formally take the reins, the Argentine is likely to have had conversations with those above him in the club hierarchy to discuss potential incomings and outgoings.

The former Tottenham boss will be well aware of the size of the task that awaits him in west London as Chelsea aim to bounce back from one of the worst campaigns of their modern history last time out.

Despite spending north of £600m on transfers across both the summer and winter transfer windows last season, the Blues ended the season in 12th - their first bottom-half finish since the 1995-96 season.

Josh O'Brien