Chelsea have approached Brighton to enquire about two players ahead of the looming January transfer deadline, a report has claimed.
The Blues, who have splashed out over £1billion on new players since the arrival of Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital in 2022, will be keen to bolster Enzo Maresca’s squad after slipping out of the top four places last weekend following a 3-1 defeat by Manchester City.
Brighton players have proved popular targets for Chelsea in recent years, with current first team stars Marc Cucurella (£62million), Robert Sanchez (£25m) and British record transfer Moises Caicedo (£115m) all joining the west London club from the Seagulls since 2022.
As well as forking out a total of £202m on the ex-Brighton stars, Chelsea also lured former head coach Graham Potter from the Amex in 2022, before sacking him seven months later.
The Blues have now reportedly made enquiries about both Carlos Baleba and Georginio Rutter ahead of the January deadline, who joined the Seagulls in the summer of 2023 and 2024 respectively.
Baleba has, in many respects, replaced Caicedo’s role as a midfield anchor on the south coast, impressing during his 18 Premier League appearances to date this season.
Chelsea have reportedly made enquiries about both Carlos Baleba and Georginio Rutter (right)
Midfielder Baleba has impressed during his 18 Premier League appearances so far this season
The London club have already signed Marc Cucurella (left), Robert Sanchez and Moises Caicedo (right) from Brighton in recent years, with the latter arriving for a British record fee of £115million
Rutter, meanwhile, has established himself as an important squad player under Fabian Hurzeler, chalking up 13 starts and nine more appearances off the bench during his debut Premier League campaign at the Amex.
Despite previously agreeing to sell a host of players to the Blues in the past, Brighton appear to have given the west London club a clear ‘no’ on this occasion, according to Chelsea journalist Simon Phillips.
The Stamford Bridge chiefs will likely need to shop around elsewhere to bolster their squad ahead of the January deadline, with Manchester United’s Alejandro Garnacho and Bayern Munich’s Mathys Tel among those linked with a move to the Blues.
Chelsea must also decide what to do with out-of-favour stars Christopher Nkunku, Joao Felix and Axel Disasi, who have all attracting interest from top clubs over the last few days.
Man United are eyeing up a move for Nkunku, while Aston Villa have expressed interest in securing the services of both Felix and Disasi.
Those who have made the switch from Brighton to Chelsea have experienced very different chapters at Stamford Bridge since signing on the dotted line.
Cucurella, who arrived for £62m in 2022 after being linked with a move to Manchester City, was branded a flop and dropped for Ben Chilwell early in his Blues career, before reclaiming his place at left-back and establishing himself as one of Enzo Maresca’s most consistent performers.
Despite also facing criticism shortly after his arrival, Caicedo is now widely regarded as one of the best defensive midfielders in the Premier League, offering Chelsea physicality and control in the engine room.
So far, Rutter has racked up 13 starts and nine substitute appearances during his debut season
Brighton reportedly rejected Chelsea’s approach, keen to keep Fabian Hurzeler’s squad together
Sanchez, however, has struggled of late and was the primary culprit during Manchester City’s victory over the Blues last Saturday.
The Spanish goalkeeper charged out of his goal and found himself stranded with the score tied at 1-1, handing Erling Haaland the chance to loft the ball simply into the back of the net.
Gary Neville slammed the goalkeeper’s decision-making both during and after the match.
‘What is the goalkeeper doing?,’ Neville said on commentary duty. ‘Why is he there? Such a poor, poor decision.’
Speaking later on the Gary Neville podcast, the Man United legend added: ‘We have to talk about the goalkeeper. That wouldn’t have been a goal if the goalkeeper isn’t 25 yards off his line at the edge of the box.
‘What is he doing? I mean he’s making a lot of errors and I remember a few years ago that I was quite tough on Karius at Liverpool when he was coming through and making errors.
‘Liverpool were a team that were growing to a point where they could win the title, but they wouldn’t have won a title with Karius in net because he was making too many errors.
‘It’s a too important position and I think Chelsea at this point in time are going to have to look at their goalkeeper.
Sanchez has struggled of late, with his poor decision-making leading to a goal against Man City
Enzo Maresca is weighing up whether to drop Sanchez ahead of Monday’s clash with West Ham
‘It’s obvious because he’s making far too many errors, week in week out. He gets away with it some weeks, but today he hasn’t got away with it. It was a mini turning point in the game.’
Mail Sport reported on Sunday that Maresca, who stood by the goalkeeper in the aftermath of Saturday’s defeat, is weighing up whether to drop his No 1 ahead of Chelsea’s clash with West Ham at Stamford Bridge next Monday.
