Chelsea agree £30m deal to sign Brighton target from Leicester
- Chelsea strike deal to sign Leicester midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall
- Brighton had hoped to strike an agreement before Chelsea hijack
- Midfielder to reunite with manager Enzo Maresca
By Tom Gott
Chelsea have struck a deal to sign Leicester's Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall from under the noses of Brighton & Hove Albion.
Dewsbury-Hall starred for the Championship-winning Foxes last season under manager Enzo Maresca, who moved to Stamford Bridge earlier this summer to replace Mauricio Pochettino.
Reports insist Chelsea's decision to move for Dewsbury-Hall is not directly related to Maresca, who gave his approval to such a transfer.
The Athletic report that Chelsea have agreed to pay a fee of around £30m to sign Dewsbury-Hall, who has agreed a contract until 2030 at Stamford Bridge.
Dewsbury-Hall, who rejected the chance to join Brighton & Hove Albion when Chelsea's interest became known, is set for a medical on Sunday.
Negotiations between Chelsea and Leicester have also included the idea of at least one player moving to the King Power Stadium in a separate deal.
David Datro Fofana, Cesare Casadei and even Armando Broja had all been suggested as potential options for Leicester before news of the agreement over Dewsbury-Hall was struck.
The Telegraph state that Leicester's interest lies in 18-year-old midfielder Michael Golding, who has impressed at youth level for the Blues and made his Chelsea debut as a late substitute in the FA Cup third-round clash with Preston North End last season.
Chelsea have also agreed a deal to sign Barcelona striker Marc Guiu, while Boca Juniors centre-back Aaron Anselmino is also close to putting pen to paper on a deal which would see him remain with the Argentinian side for at least the next six months until the end of Boca's domestic campaign.