Chelsea make Moises Caicedo £100m decision amid Brighton transfer replacement claim
Chelsea are still in talks to sign Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo in the summer transfer window, according to Fabrizio Romano, amid conflicting reports over the Blues' stance.
It comes after the west London outfit saw their latest approach for the Ecuadorian international turned down by the Seagulls yesterday. The offer was believed to be in the region of £80million, hopeful that it would get the long running saga over with. But football.londonunderstands it was swiftly rejected.
Chelsea have been following a move for the 21-year-old since January and football.london understands that he is a top priority this summer. The Blues may not have much bargaining power though, having already made a whole host of sales in their central ranks in recent weeks.
It leaves just Enzo Fernandez and Conor Gallagher as their two senior first-team options, with Mauricio Pochettino relying on younger and more inexperienced players beyond them. Add to that the fact that Caicedo signed a new long-term deal earlier this year and the stance from Brighton seems clear.
Reports claimed that £100million remains the valuation set, which is a large price tag, but reflects moves in the market such as Fernandez joining the Blues for £106.5million in January or Declan Rice to Arsenal for £105million. However, with Chelsea still in talks, it suggests they are willing to improve on their latest offer and could move closer to that nine-figure mark.
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Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi has been quizzed throughout the summer about the future of Caicedo and recently hinted at a possible replacement. He told reporters: «If Caicedo leaves, we need another big important
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