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Chelsea's pursuit of Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo this summer appears to be "moving", according to a key update from journalist Fabrizio Romano.

How much does Moises Caicedo earn per week?

The Blues know how important a productive summer is in the transfer market, following arguably their most disappointing season in Premier League history in 2022/23.

Chelsea ended up finishing 12th, which felt impossible last August, with Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter and Frank Lampard all in charge at different points in the campaign, and none of them impressing enough to justify keeping their respective jobs.

The player who has been most strongly linked with coming in and joining the Blues this summer is the £15,000-a-week-earning Caicedo, who has been a wanted man after a stellar season for Brighton, in which he shone for an eye-catching Seagulls side also featuring the likes of Alexis Mac Allister and Pascal Gross in midfield.

With N'Golo Kante and Mateo Kovavic no longer at Stamford Bridge – Jorginho also departed for Arsenal back in January – the need for additions in the middle of the parks is paramount. It seems clear that Chelsea are continuing to push hard to sign Caicedo, but Brighton are proving stubborn, demanding huge money, especially having already lost Mac Allister to Liverpool for a fairly cheap amount by modern standards.

Are Chelsea progressing with Moises Caicedo move?

Taking to Twitter, Romano gave an important update regarding Caicedo's potential move to Chelsea, saying negotiations continue to take place and that the saga is "moving":

"Understand Moisés Caicedo deal is now ‘moving’ between Chelsea and Brighton. The two clubs are discussing amount of fixed fee, £70m not enough. Deal will 100% also include add-ons. Negotiations continue to find a solution as soon as possible."

This has to be considered a positive update over Caicedo's future, with Chelsea slowly but surely trying to grind Brighton down and test their resolve. They clearly know how important the Ecuadorian is for them, hence the fact they are holding out for every possible penny, but there could come a point when they realise that they have to accept an offer and use the funds wisely to rebuild their squad.

The player himself surely wants to join the Blues now, even though they can't offer him Champions League, Europa League or even UEFA Europa Conference League football in 2023/24, with Mauricio Pochettino coming in and looking to bring back the good times to Stamford Bridge.Caicedo would be the perfect midfield signing for Chelsea at a time when they need legs, technical ability and long-term potential, with the 21-year-old possessing the ability to cover ground at will, bite into tackles – he averaged 2.7 per game in the Premier League last season – and also show calmness in possession, having completed 88.8% of his passes in 2022/23.Former Blues and Brighton manager Potter has heaped praise on him in the past, calling him a "fantastic" player, and he is someone who could grow into the next great midfielder on show for the Blues, enjoying a strong understanding with fellow impressive youngster Enzo Fernandez in the middle of the park.

There’s often several reasons behind a player’s departure from a club. Sometimes, it’s as simple as wanting to play at a higher level, and other times it can be that they are no longer performing at their peak. Occasionally, things can get ugly, however – see Cristiano Ronaldo’s Manchester United departure the second time around.Things can get slightly out of hand in the transfer season when a player wants to leave. We’ve seen some banished to train with the U23s, others take matters into their own hands by driving to another club’s training ground – shout-out to Peter Odemwingie – and all sorts of other drama unfold.Gabriel Jesus has gone about things fairly smarter, though. Instead of letting the tensions boil over while at Manchester City, he has waited an entire season at Arsenal, and a highly-competitive title race, before finally speaking out about his exit.

Why did Gabriel Jesus leave Manchester City?

Speaking on The Denilson Show Podcast, Jesus said, via ESPN: “There was a Champions League game, PSG, at home in which he put Zinchenko as a false 9. Crazy thing. The day before, he didn’t even use him in training, he had put me in as a striker.. Zinchenko even joked with me: ‘That day I felt bad or you’.

“Two hours before the game, there’s a team talk, the team eats, rests for 30 minutes and goes to the game… I didn’t even eat. I went straight to the room, crying, I called my mother to talk: ‘I want to leave’. I’m going home, because he put (Zinchenko) on. He put a left-back there. I went crazy.

“I didn’t warm up. I felt bad. Five minutes after Mbappe scored the goal for 1-0, [Guardiola] called me. I gave an assist and scored; we turned it around 2-1. In the next [Champions League] game [a 2-1 win at RB Leipzig], I thought I was going to play, and I didn’t play.

“There was a lot of that with him [Guardiola], and it’s not easy. But one [player] evolves. It is really hard. That’s when I decided, I didn’t want to stay anymore. And I decided to leave.”

How did Gabriel Jesus perform for Arsenal last season?

Despite never really being the main man at Manchester City, Jesus played a crucial role for Arsenal last season, who pushed Guardiola’s side all the way in the Premier League title race.

Suffering a poorly-timed injury at the 2022 Qatar World Cup, the 26-year-old Brazilian’s season was interrupted. This didn’t stop him from finishing on 11 goals and eight assists in all competitions to cap off an impressive debut campaign at The Emirates.

Playing with former Ciry teammate Oleksandr Zinchenko in North London, Jesus at least doesn’t have to worry about losing his place to the left-back under Mikel Arteta, with his spot in the manager’s plans more than secured (playing 33 times in total despite his major injury).

The hope will be that the Gunners can go one better next season, and win the Premier League title, whilst also making an impact in their return to Champions League action.

And for the time being, when it comes to leading the line, Jesus appears to be the undisputed main man for Arsenal.

Manchester United have initiated “contact” to bring Feyenoord star Justin Bijlow to the Premier League, according to journalist Laurie Whitwell.

Who is Justin Bijlow?

Bijlow is a goalkeeper who currently plays his football for Arne Slot’s side having graduated from their academy to get promoted to the first-team back in 2016, where’s he’s since gone on to establish himself as their number one.

The Netherlands international still has another two years remaining on his contract in his homeland, but his performances have caught the eye of Erik Ten Hag after Dutch outlet 1908 reported that the boss holds a concrete interest in the shot-stopper.

Voetbal International further claimed that the 25-year-old would be open to joining, but his club, at this stage, don’t want to sanction his sale and are instead looking to tie him down to a new deal.

That doesn’t seem to have stopped an approach from being made at Old Trafford though…

Are Man United signing Bijlow?

Taking to Twitter, Whitwell revealed that Man United have enquired about Bijlow to discover his availability ahead of the 2023/24 campaign. He wrote:

“#MUFC make contact over Feyenoord GK Justin Bijlow. Dutch champions very reluctant to sell but United exploring options, which include Andre Onana. CF still the priority, costs will dictate next signing. Atalanta's Rasmus Hojlund fee viewed as too high.”

Man United could be set to lose David De Gea this summer having still not agreed a new contract, so should he depart, Ten Hag will of course need a direct replacement, and Bijlow could be the perfect successor having been hailed “brilliant” by ESPN correspondent Cecilia Lagos.

The World Cup participant, who pockets £5k-per-week, kept 12 clean sheets from 25 Eredivisie appearances last season and ranked in the 90th percentile amongst 'keepers for crosses stopped, so he isn’t afraid to come out of his net and claim the ball to clear the danger from his area.

The 6 foot 2 colossus also made 59 saves from 77 shots on target against, giving him a success rate of 75.3% which is higher than De Gea’s 71.1%, showing how much of an upgrade he’d be on the manager’s current first-choice between the sticks.

Finally, Ten Hag already knows Bijlow as he will have faced him in the Eredivisie during his time with Ajax, so the boss could use this existing connection to try and entice his goalkeeping target to M16 in the weeks and months ahead.

One of the biggest story lines of the summer transfer will be what club can secure the services of West Ham captain Declan Rice.

Arsenal, Manchester City and Manchester United are all reportedly chasing the signature of the England midfielder, and transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano has dropped more information on Arsenal’s chances of landing what would be a signature signing.

Arsenal transfer news – Declan Rice

Manchester City have entered the race for Rice, according to The Guardian.

The English and European champions submitted their first bid for the West Ham man on Thursday, a day after Arsenal submitted their second bid for the 24-year-old.

Fabrizio Romano tweeted that Manchester United are currently aware the midfielder's situation, but have yet to make a bid for the recent Europa Conference League winner.

What has Fabrizio Romano said about Declan Rice and Arsenal?

Romano spoke to GIVEMESPORT, informing that Arsenal are still confident in their pursuit of the player.

The North London side are still convinced they will land their target this summer despite the interest of Man City and Man Utd.

Romano did stress that Arsenal must not waste time in their pursuit however, especially after losing out on Mudryk to Chelsea in January.

Romano told GIVEMESPORT: "Arsenal remain confident because they know the player wants to move, but it's also true that, in some moments, you have to be fast in the market.

"We saw the same kind of situation with Mykhailo Mudryk, who wanted the move. It was kind of public on social media in January, remember? But then if you don't close the deal, other things can happen."

Should Arsenal sign Declan Rice?

Rice will not be a cheap option for any side chasing him this summer, as a bidding war seems set to begin due to the interest of three separate Premier League teams.

Talksport’s Tony Cascarino pundit was full of praise for the West Ham skipper following another excellent season at the East London club.

Cascarino stated: “Declan Rice has played every game as if it’s his first and I think that’s admirable for someone so young to want to be as good as he can be and West Ham fans will tell you Declan drives that team."

Fellow Talksport pundit Gabby Agbonlahor believes that Rice’s time at West Ham has come to an end, saying:

“If I’m Declan Rice, I’m seeing my England teammates playing Champions League finals, playing Champions League games at the highest level, that’s exactly what he wants to do.”

Arsenal will have a battle on their hands to secure this signing, and they surely must follow the advice of Romano and attempt to get the deal over the line as quick as possible to avoid a bidding war breaking out.

However, you do have to fear for the Gunners if the treble winners are seriously looking to bring Rice to the Etihad Stadium this summer.

Thibaut Courtois has fired back at Belgium coach Domenico Tedesco after it was claimed he refused to travel for a match after being overlooked for the captaincy against Austria.

Why is Thibaut Courtois upset with the Belgium manager?

The 37-year-old manager stated at the start of the week that the Real Madrid goalkeeper was "offended" after Romelu Lukaku was named captain in the absence of the injured Kevin de Bruyne.

He said (via BBC Sport): "Together we decided that Romelu would be captain against Austria and Thibaut tomorrow against Estonia.

"That was OK for everyone but after the match [Courtois] suddenly wanted to talk to me and said he was going home because he was disappointed and felt offended."

However, Courtois has now hit back at his national team manager, suggesting that this isn't at all what happened and that he was just injured.

The goalkeeper took to Instagram to make his feelings known in a rather lengthy social media post, noting that he was "surprised" to hear the comments.

He added: "I want to make it clear that it is not the first time or the last time that I talk to a coach about issues related to a locker room, but it is the first time that someone decides to tell it publicly. I am deeply disappointed with this, but I want to make it clear that the coach's assessments do not fit with reality."

Was Courtois actually injured?

As per The Guardian, Tedesco has originally denied any claims of fitness struggles causing the absence, telling his press conference: “I wish I could say it’s an injury, but I can’t lie.”

But Courtois defended his absence, explaining that it was indeed an injury that prevented him from playing, writing: "Furthermore, yesterday afternoon I underwent a check-up for a problem in my right knee. The medical team of my Club and the national team were in contact and reviewed all the corresponding material to make the decision to leave the training camp."

All in all, it's a complete mess between player and manager but the goalkeeper did also insist that he didn't demand anything in regards to the captaincy and he has spoken to Lukaku to "clarify" the situation.

It remains to be seen what will happen next but after such a public fallout, it might be a bit of a surprise if we see Courtois in a Belgium shirt again while Tedesco remains in charge.

The task for West Ham, David Moyes, and his conquering squad is to keep going.

The Europa Conference League title is a ceremonial moment in the history of the club that will forever be revered and cherished.

However, the Irons cannot rest on their laurels, another year of European football beckons and the team must be moulded to keep up with this demanding ask.

Players of sufficient pedigree and experience must be landed with Joaquin Correa touted as a possible addition to the London Stadium.

What’s the latest on Joaquin Correa to West Ham?

According to the Gazzetta dello Sport (via Sport Witness), the East London outfit and Everton have opened 'tentative' talks to sign the Inter Milan man.

In a previous report, it has been suggested that the 28-year-old could be available on the market for as little as €15 (£13m).

David Moyes supposedly tried to sign the Argentine in the summer of 2021, before he joined the Nerazzurri, and the Hammers look set to reignite their interest in the forward.

Would Joaquin Correa be a good signing for West Ham?

The 6 foot 2 star has played in Italy since 2018 and has developed a solid reputation as a dependable and productive player. He has recorded 51 goal contributions in 175 Serie A outings.

However, the 19-cap international has endured a rather frustrating campaign, managing just 15 starts in all competitions and was an unused substitution in the Champions League final defeat to Manchester City.

Therefore, the former Sevilla star is seeking a new challenge, which could come in the form of the Irons.

Despite his lack of game time, the statistics still make for impressive reading – in Europe’s top five leagues among his positional peers, Correa ranks within the top 13% for assists per 90, progressive passes per 90, and successful take-ons per 90.

Furthermore, his chameleonic nature to appear in various positions across the frontline demonstrates a fascinating versatility that could make him crucial for Moyes next season.

Indeed, according to FBref, he possesses a similar profile to that of World Cup winner Angel Di Maria.

Not only do the two attackers share nationality but they also have a nimble frame, an effortless first touch, a venomous strike, and a hypnotic dribbling technique.

Described as “sensational” by Matteo Bonetti, Correa performs relatively closely to his compatriot in various metrics, such as goals and assists per 90 (0.38 vs 0.53), % shots on target per 90 (36.4 vs 32.4), pass completion (79.2% vs 72.1%), and shot creating actions per 90 (3.51 vs 5.48).

This signing would provide depth in various positions, whilst adding quality and attacking thrust hoping to regain a position in the top half of the Premier League and win a European competition for a consecutive season.

Aston Villa reportedly remain in the race to sign one of Unai Emery’s former players in the chase for a La Liga gem.

With Monchi recruited as resident of football operations, the Spanish duo could present Villa Park with a marquee signing in his first bit of business at the club.

What’s the latest on Pau Torres to Aston Villa?

The saga surrounding Villarreal defender Pau Torres’ potential move to Aston Villa has been ongoing since January, with news coming this week confirming the club's desire to sign the Spaniard remains.

Reported by 90min in the winter transfer window, Torres was mentioned as a name that was on Emery’s radar to bring to Villa Park following his decision to trade La Liga for the Premier League at the start of last season.

This week, Fabrizio Romano stated on his Here We Go podcast that Villa were now “pushing” to sign the centre-back.

“They [Tottenham] always appreciated Pau Torres, but at the moment it is Aston Villa, the club pushing for Pau.”

As relayed by 90min, the Spaniard is said to have a €50m (£43m) release clause in his contract with the Yellow Submarine.

What could Pau Torres offer to Aston Villa?

Hailed as an “extraordinary talent” by former player and youth coach Javi Calleja, Torres could undoubtedly take Villa’s defence to new heights.

Such claims require support and the Villarreal-born star has recorded numbers that rank him amongst the best-performing centre-backs in Europe over the past year.

As per FBref, the 26-year-old ranks in the top 1% of centre-backs in terms of his rate of progressive carries, averaging 2.24 per 90 to showcase his advanced competency of being a ball-carrying defender.

Such traits are lauded in the Premier League, allowing play to build from the back in a quick burst from defence to attack, with Torres possessing attributes in a variety of areas in progressive play including making 5.81 progressive passes per 90.

Emery could sign himself one of the most assured centre-backs on the ball in Europe in signing his former player, having previously stated that he'd “never seen” a central defender like him, via football.london.

While Tyrone Mings was a regular presence for Villa in the 2022/23 campaign, the 30-year-old – who made 35 league appearances – could find himself as part of a positive transition at Villa Park seeing younger stars take centre stage in Emery’s reign.

While the Spaniard’s abilities in progressive play blow the Englishman’s resources in that area out of the water, his defensive attributes show to be stronger also, as highlighted by him averaging 1.27 tackles per 90 to the Villa man’s 0.43.

With Monchi on board in the Midlands, it could finally be time for Emery to be reunited with his former player whom he has been rumoured to have wanted to bring to Villa Park for months.

West Ham United finally ended their 43-year trophy drought on Wednesday night with a thrilling victory against Fiorentina in the Europa Conference League final.

However, in the game's aftermath, chairman David Sullivan confirmed that Declan Rice has the club's blessing to leave in the summer.

The likely destination at this point is Arsenal, who have been linked with the England international for months now.

The Hammers will look to use the windfall from that deal to fund a series of summer transfers, with Ajax midfielder Edson Alvarez one of their priorities, per the Telegraph's reliable journalist, Matt Law.

What's the latest on Edson Alvarez?

The versatile machine has shot to the top of the Irons' wishlist this summer, but bringing him to the London Stadium might prove challenging.

The 6 foot 2 colossus was close to completing a move to Chelsea last summer, but the Dutch club refused to budge, leaving the player to spend another season in Amsterdam.

West Ham will have to act quickly if they're keen on the player as, according to 90min, Borussia Dortmund are 'confident' that they will sign the player this summer.

With no official bids yet, we can only speculate that the money needed to secure Alvarez's signature will be close to the £43m offered by Chelsea last September, whilst FootballTransfers currently estimates his worth to be around £25m.

Would Edson Alvarez be a good signing for West Ham?

By all metrics, the Tlalnepantla-born "monster", as dubbed by The Athletic's Felipe Cardenas, looks like he would be an excellent signing for the Hammers.

According to WhoScored, Alvarez has averaged a seriously impressive rating of 7.34 across 31 Eredivisie appearances this season.

The underlying numbers also paint the picture of an all-action defensive midfielder.

As per FBref, who have compared players in a similar position across their 'next 8 competitions', he sits in the top 1% for passes attempted, clearances, and aerials duals won per 90. Alvarez also ranks in the top 5% for pass completion, 6% for shots, progressive carries, no. of touches in the opposition's penalty area, and 9% for progressive passes per 90.

Another facet of the Mexican's game that could prove invaluable to the Hammers is his positional versatility.

Across the last 50 matches, the Ajax man has played as a central midfielder 23 times, a defensive midfielder 15 times and a central defender 12 times. This ability to fulfil several roles across the pitch and fulfil them capably would be a huge benefit to David Moyes' team.

Whoever the club sign in the summer, it is unlikely that they will be able to replace Rice on their own, but Alvarez certainly looks like he could get close.

Arsenal battled well with Manchester City for the Premier League title, but in the end, their quality in depth ultimately told.

Mikel Arteta was left wounded at the failure to secure silverware, but well aware of the progress made in just one year. Despite that, they remain so far away from their rivals.

Manchester United were shown this too at Wembley yesterday, with Pep Guardiola's side winning 2-1 without really getting out of third gear. It marked the second of three trophies they are set to claim this term, with next week's Champions League final the only thing that stands in the way of their infamous treble.

When the pressure has ramped up, whilst some of the Gunners' squad arguably went into hiding, there have been a few key players at the Etihad that have instead stepped up.

Arguably few have done so as dramatically as yesterday's FA Cup final hero; Ilkay Gundogan added another two goals to his phenomenal goalscoring campaign to win them the trophy.

The German has announced himself as one of the best all-around midfielders in the Premier League of late, leading every team to question how they could emulate his success.

Fortunately for Edu, an opportunity to purchase their own version of the 32-year-old has arisen, with reports linking them with a potential €30m (£26m) move for PSV Eindhoven's Xavi Simons.

Could Xavi Simons emulate Ilkay Gundogan?

As a classy yet combative goalscoring maestro, the Netherlands international has all the qualities to emulate City's ageing superstar but at just 20 years old.

Having notched 11 goals and assisted a further seven in all competitions, Gundogan has shown up in key moments with vital strikes of late.

His brace at Goodison Park saw them cruise through a tricky fixture against Everton, just a week after he had done the same to relegation-threatened Leeds United. He even assisted Kevin De Bruyne's strike in their first-leg draw against Real Madrid, to emphasise his creativity before reaching the apex yesterday.

Guardiola noted after that triumph: "The player is exceptional. This season what he has done is just exceptional. Not just being part of the important moments and I don't forget the two goals he scored against Aston Villa [in 2022] and this season many times he’s scored important goals. It’s for the fact how important he is in many, many reasons."

Whilst Simons has enjoyed a far greater year in front of goal, with 22 goals and 12 assists to his name, the youngster has been deployed in a far more advanced midfield role to allow him to shine creatively. However, having recorded 1.4 tackles per game too, he showcases a defensive grit that could allow him to occupy a similar role to Gundogan, just beside a figure like Thomas Partey.

After all, the former Borussia Dortmund gem only manages one tackle per game himself in the league, but his intelligence allows him to add to their unstoppable system at both ends of the pitch.

The youth of Simons would likely attract Arteta too, given how malleable he remains. His former boss Ruud van Nistelrooy could not speak highly enough on his potential, claiming: "He’s doing everything he can to get to the top, his top. And where that will be, that’s the beautiful challenge. His mentality, his mindset, it’s unprecedented."

In acquiring him now, it would allow them to immediately begin his transformation into a player as decisive as this Guardiola favourite, who has played such a key role in the success they have already achieved.

Aston Villa could be set for a massive summer as they prepare to compete in the Europa Conference League next season, and now it has been reported that the club are preparing an ambitious move in the transfer window.

What's the latest on Aston Villa's interest in Kalvin Phillips?

According to Football Insider, Aston Villa are keen to secure the signing of Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips should he become available this summer.

As per the report, it is claimed that the Midlands club are not put off by Phillips' comments about wanting to stay with the Premier League champions and have no intentions of giving up hope that they could snap up his services as they believe that City will be open to offers for the out of favour player in the summer transfer window.

This comes amid claims that Premier League rivals Liverpool are also eyeing a £35m move for the Englishman.

Would Kalvin Phillips be a good signing for Aston Villa?

Despite winning his first Premier League title and remaining in contention to complete the treble, Phillips has made no secret about his struggles over his first season with the Sky Blues.

The former Leeds star spoke out last weekend to Sky Sports (via Manchester Evening News) about his lack of confidence and concerns about game time since joining in a £45m deal last summer:

"It’s been unbelievably tough."

"It’s probably been one of the lowest moments in myself confidence-wise in my career, but with the guys around me like Kyle [Walker], they’ve kept me going, told me I’ll get my chance and it’ll come."

Amid the depth of midfield talent at Man City – with the likes of Ilkay Gundogan, Rodri and Kevin de Bruyne all in the mix for a starting berth – Phillips has been unable to compete comfortably for a spot in the super team, making just his first start at home to Chelsea last week.

As a result, Villa could offer the England star – hailed an "absolute beast" by Nigel de Jong – an opportunity to move to a club where he can earn much more game time and play a more key role in the success the club will be striving for in Emery's first full season in charge.

In fact, the former Villarreal boss could form an incredible partnership between Phillips and Boubacar Kamara as the pair together could dominate the centre of the pitch and cause non-stop problems for opponents.

The two men could well thrive due to their ball-winning prowess, with Phillips having notably averaged 2.7 tackles and 1.2 interceptions per game for Leeds last term in the league, while young Kamara has averaged a solid 2.4 tackles and 0.8 interceptions per game this season.

Both Phillips and Kamara also boast an incredible passing range and unrivalled accuracy in their positions, with the City man having an average pass completion rate of 92% in the top-flight this term, while the latter man is only slightly lower at 85% for the same metric.

That is something that could be a huge asset for Emery in his pursuit to transform and improve the team's overall ball possession next season to align with one of the key components of his footballing philosophy.

With that being said, the signing of Phillips would be a major coup for Villa if they could pull it off this summer and the Man City star is certainly the perfect profile of player to help Emery achieve his goals for the team.