Chelsea are considering a move for Paris Saint-Germain’s surplus-to-requirements midfielder Leandro Paredes as an alternative to Moises Caicedo, according to reports.
The west Londoners recently saw a third bid worth £80million rejected by Brighton, with the Seagulls adamant the Ecuador international will only be sold if his £100m price tag is met.
But Chelsea are reluctant to go any higher while Brighton are refusing to lower their asking price, prompting the Blues to explore other options.
They have already been linked with Leeds United’s Tyler Adams – who has a relegation release clause – and Ajax defensive midfielder Edson Alvarez, but now a new name has emerged.
According to the Evening Standard, Chelsea could make a late move for PSG outcast Paredes, who is one of the 14 ‘undesirables’ the French champions have placed in their ‘bomb squad’.
Along with the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Julian Draxler and Georginio Wijnaldum, Paredes and his fellow exiles have been banished from the first-team squad and made to train alone as PSG try to find buyers for them.
Paredes is not in new manager Luis Enrique’s plans, while PSG are hoping to secure a fee before his contract expires next summer.
Given the fact he is in the final 12 months of his deal, the Argentina international would be available for a reasonable price and would be significantly cheaper than Caicedo or even Adams and Alvarez.
Pochettino knows his compatriot well from his time in the PSG dugout and is keen to be reunited with him, having also wanted to sign him for Tottenham when he was in charge of the north London club.
Paredes does not fit the usual profile of young, emerging talent that the Todd Boehly-Clearlake ownership usually go for, but Pochettino feels his squad are missing some experience – particularly in the middle of the pitch.
