Maresca targets €200m raid as Chelsea submit first bid

Cameron Smith

• Updated: 2 Feb 2025 16:29 GMT
• 3 min read

Chelsea are reportedly eyeing yet another Brighton & Hove Albion raid as Enzo Maresca looks to bolster his first-team squad in 2025.

The Blues have spent €212.2 million on Brighton players since Clearlake Capital’s arrival in 2022, while they have also poached eight members of staff from the Seagulls, including former head coach Graham Potter.

Chelsea remain interested in a number of Brighton’s current stars and they are looking to spend over €200m on Carlos Baleba, Georginio Rutter and Facundo Buonanotte this year, according to multiple reports.

READ MORE: Premier League January transfers 2025 - All the Done Deals

Spanish outlet Fichajes have revealed that Buonanotte has emerged as an unlikely transfer target for the west London giants in recent weeks, with the club searching for a possible replacement for Joao Felix.

Tottenham Hotspur are also interested in signing the on-loan Leicester City midfielder, but Chelsea have submitted an initial offer of €45m for the Argentine, as per Fichajes.

Furthermore, Chelsea journalist Simon Phillips has claimed that Maresca’s side are also eager to sign Baleba and Rutter in 2025.

Brighton will reportedly demand a fee in excess of €120m for Baleba, while the Seagulls are unlikely to accept a bid worth anything less than €50m for Rutter.

READ MORE: Chelsea fans in DREAMLAND as Romano confirms transfer talks

Enzo Maresca on Chelsea’s January transfer plans

During his pre-match press conference ahead of Chelsea’s Premier League clash against West Ham United on Monday, Maresca was asked what transfer business his side may conduct before the end of the January window.

“You can expect players arriving and you can expect players leaving - it is like this in this moment,” Maresca told reporters.

“I don’t have any idea about the ones that can leave and the ones that can arrive. Anything can happen, we will see. For me the main focus is just 48 hours, the game, it is the main focus and the most important thing.”