Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino is no stranger to spending big money in the transfer market and his next quest in the market has now been identified, according to reports.
Chelsea's transfer activity…
In the summer window, the Blues made a major splash in the market by bringing in exciting young faces such as Cole Palmer, Romeo Lavia, Moises Caicedo and Christopher Nkunku.
Chelsea summer signings
Axel Disasi (Monaco)
£38.5m
Nicolas Jackson (Villarreal)
£30.1m
Christopher Nkunku (RB Leipzig)
£52m
Kendry Paez (Independiente del Valle)
£17.27m
Robert Sanchez (Brighton)
£25m
Moises Caicedo (Brighton)
£115m
Lesley Ugochukwu (Rennes)
£23.5m
Angelo Gabriel (Santos)
Undisclosed
Alex Matos (Norwich)
Undisclosed
Diego Moreira (Benfica)
Undisclosed
Ishe Samuels-Smith (Everton)
Undisclosed
Dujuan Richards (Phoenix All Stars Academy)
Undisclosed
Romeo Lavia (Southampton)
£58m
Deivid Washington (Santos)
£17.1m
Djordje Petrovic (New England Revolution)
£14m
Cole Palmer (Manchester City)
£42.5m
All fees courtesy of Sky Sports
With any bedding in process regarding new players, some fare better than others, which is reflected in the fact that Chelsea sit tenth in the Premier League table, having taken 16 points from their opening 12 fixtures.
Nevertheless, Argentinian coach Pochettino is keen to strengthen his side even further over the next window or two. Recent reports have suggested that Napoli superstar Victor Osimhen is on the radar at Stamford Bridge and the Nigeria international has indicated that he is open to a move to west London.
CaughtOffside report that Chelsea have also met with Brentford striker Ivan Toney's entourage as bringing a number nine into the building continues to be a pressing priority for Pochettino. Arsenal are also strong contenders to acquire the England international. Despite initial claims that Toney could leave Brentford for £80-100 million, the outlet signify that the 27-year-old could be available for as little as £55 million.
One Spanish publication has speculated that Barcelona winger Raphinha is another name in Chelsea's sights as the Blues aim to add more variety in the final third to help break down opposition backlines. Despite this, midfield is another area where Chelsea are plotting potential signings, and one report has now revealed that the Premier League giants have a significant advantage in the chase for a young star.
Chelsea lead Gabriel Moscardo race
Taking to social media platform X, Evening Standard football correspondent Nizaar Kinsella has issued an update regarding Chelsea's pursuit of Corinthians midfielder Gabriel Moscardo, claiming that the Blues are now "leading the race" for the 18-year-old, who is "one for the future".
In the attached report from the Evening Standard, it is claimed that it could cost interested suitors a fee in the region of £26 million to tempt Moscardo to seek a new challenge. Barcelona, Arsenal and Liverpool are also keen on the Brazil Under-23 international; however, Corinthians will not discuss his potential sale until after their presidential elections have concluded on November 25th.
Moscardo, who has been labelled "unique" by Football Talent Scout – Jacek Kulig, primarily operates as a defensive midfielder and has won 2.1 tackles per fixture alongside making 1.3 clearances and 1.1 interceptions per appearance in the Brazilian top-flight (Moscardo statistics – WhoScored).
In an already crowded midfield environment, Moscardo would be likely to fall under the umbrella of being another long-term project for Pochettino to develop at Stamford Bridge if he were to move to the English capital.
