Chelsea have bids rejected for TWO Premier League stars

Suraj Radia

• 20 Jan 2023 09:59 GMT
• 2 min read

Chelsea were knocked back in their attempt to strengthen their midfield after having bids for two Premier League stars rejected as they look to continue their incredible spending spree under owner Todd Boehly.

The Blues have spent more than £150 million in January already to add to their £250m splurge last summer, with another £35m outlay on the horizon as Noni Madueke travelled to London for a medical ahead of a move from PSV.

Graham Potter’s side are set to switch their focus to their midfield following the signings of defender Benoit Badiashile, youngster Andrey Santos and forwards David Datro Fofana and Mykhaylo Mudryk, as well as Joao Felix on loan.

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The club’s top target is understood to be Moises Caicedo however Chelsea had a £55m bid rejected for the 21-year-old, with Brighton not looking to sell their star man in January.

The Seagulls’ reluctance to sell has seen Chelsea explore other targets and they are believed to have approached rivals Tottenham over a potential move for Yves Bissouma.

Bissouma only joined Spurs for £30m in the summer but the 26-year-old has started just eight times in the Premier League under Antonio Conte, prompting Chelsea to make an enquiry for a player who excelled under Potter at Brighton.

However, Tottenham are not interested in selling Bissouma so soon after signing and have shown no interest in Chelsea’s alleged swap deal which could have seen Hakim Ziyech move in the other direction, leaving the Blues continuing their search for an alternative.

No signs of slowing down for Chelsea in the market

Although Chelsea have spent more than £400m on no less than 13 players since Boehly’s takeover last year, the focus has largely been on the attack and defence, with teenagers Santos and Carney Chukwuemeka, along with loanee Denis Zakaria, the only senior arrivals in midfield.

As a result, the Blues are now hoping to strengthen in the middle of the park once the move for Madueke is completed, with Boehly unfazed at having spent a record amount in just nine months at the club.

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A move for Caicedo appears difficult to conduct in January, with Brighton not willing to lose another key player this month following the departure of Leandro Trossard, who is set to complete a £27m switch to Arsenal.

After seeing their enquiry for Bissouma dismissed, Chelsea could now turn their attention to out-of-favour Barcelona midfielder Franck Kessie as a possible short-term fix to their midfield conundrum.

A new backup right-back is also being considered by the Blues but the club will prioritise outgoings first in order to cut down their ever-growing squad size, with Ziyech, Conor Gallagher and Ruben Loftus-Cheek among the players that could leave Stamford Bridge this month.