The Blues were interested in landing Manuel Ugarte from Sporting earlier this month, but Paris Saint-Germain beat them to his signature.

The club have now turned their attention to Caicedo, and Rudy Galetti claims that he is the priority target for the new Blues boss.

The Argentine is determined to sign a couple of elite midfielders, and he has told the board to concentrate on landing Caicedo first.

The 21-year-old signed a new deal with the Seagulls earlier this year, but he has a gentleman's agreement to leave for a huge fee this summer.

Chelsea are planning to make a fresh approach for the £80 million star, but they are expected to face competition from London rivals Arsenal .

Arsenal were prepared to pay around £70m for the midfielder in January, and they are set to make a renewed attempt to land his services.

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