Chelsea interested in signing Mauricio Pochettino's "favorite" from PSG

Chelsea has turned its attention to a player currently under contract at Paris Saint-Germain but expected to leave the club before his deal at PSG runs out in the summer of 2024, according to the Evening Standard.

While the main target of the club from London is midfielder Moises Caicedo from Brighton, the hefty fee demanded by his club and the steady rejections of bids submitted by Chelsea (for as much as £80m) have the Blues looking into potential alternatives.

Chelsea's manager Mauricio Pochettino, who previously worked at PSG, seems to be in favor of a move for ostracised midfielder and fellow Argentine Leandro Paredes.

According to the Evening, the manager sees the 29-year-old Argentine "as a viable addition to the team." Paredes is coming off a season on loan at Juventus through which he won the World Cup with Argentina las December.

Pochettino is "keen on bolstering the squad's experience" for the upcoming season, according to the British outlet. If Conor Gallagher departs, Chelsea "may look to sign two new midfielders," and among their transfer targets there'd be Paredes.

Despite previous links with Kylian Mbappe, it appears that Chelsea's pursuit of the PSG star has been ruled out as they have moved on to target cheaper options such as Paredes, even if those players won't help them improve on their mid-table finish from last season in the English top-flight division.

There are suspicions that PSG might be using Chelsea as a pawn in a political battle with Real Madrid over Mbappe's future, and perhaps the fact that they are entering negotiations with the Blues for Paredes could also ease their relations in the event of a potential cheap-sale or maybe a loan of the French superstar to Chelsea in the short future and before the transfer window closes next September.

More PSG News