Chelsea behind talks to sign 19-year-old midfielder after Brighton reject Moises Caicedo bid - Reports

Chelsea have reportedly initiated talks to sign Stade Rennais midfielder Lesley Ugochukwu after having their bid for Brighton & Hove Albion's Moises Caicedo rejected.

The Blues are currently in the market for a midfielder after seeing the majority of their midfield department depart this summer. Jorginho left for Arsenal in January, while Mateo Kovacic, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Mason Mount, and N'Golo Kante have all secured moves away from Stamford Bridge this summer.

The West London outfit have been linked with Brighton's Caicedo and have had a £80 million bid rejected, as per transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.

The French midfielder's contract at Stade Rennais is set to expire in 2025. According to L'Equipe, the Blues have been in contact with the player's camp for the past 10 days (via Get French Football News).

Ugochukwu has attracted interest from other Premier League clubs as well, including West Ham United.

He registered 26 Ligue 1 appearances for the French outfit during the 2022-23 campaign, recording one assist, and helped them achieve a top-four finish.

While multiple reports suggest the Blues have turned their sights away from Caicedo, Fabrizio Romano claims that the club are still in the race. The Seagulls reportedly value the Ecuadorian midfielder at £80 million, a price that Chelsea are yet to match.

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"I don't expect an offer very soon" - Sporting Director provides transfer update on Chelsea-linked midfielder

Ajax sporting director Sven Mislintat is not expecting an offer for Mohammed Kudus any time soon, despite interest from Chelsea and Arsenal. The German director did, however, admit that clubs have informally enquired about the midfielder's situation.

Mislintat said (via the Gunners Daily):

"There are clubs that have informally enquired about him. I don't expect an offer very soon, although you know that things can be different in the football world. Perhaps the interest is not as serious as everyone thinks."

Kudus has been the subject of interest from various elite outfits after his exploits in the Dutch top tier during the 2022-23 campaign. The Ghanaian midfielder registered 30 league appearances for Ajax, scoring 11 goals and providing four assists.

He also had a great campaign in the UEFA Champions League last season. The Chelsea-linked midfielder recorded four goals and two assists in six European outings last term.