Brighton & Hove Albion have reportedly rejected an £80m offer from Chelsea for Ecuadorian midfielder Moises Caicedo.
Chelsea’s offers of £60m and £65m had been turned down by the south coast side for Caicedo. The Blues also had their £70m for the Ecuador International knocked back in seconds by the Seagulls last week.
Brighton reportedly wants around £100m for Caicedo, who is keen to move to Chelsea and is close to agreeing personal terms with the London club.
Seagulls boss Roberto De Zerbi last week admitted he was hopeful that the 21-year-old will be in his team at the start of next season but conceded that the club is preparing for life without him.
Zerbi said at the time;
‘We need to wait and see what happens with Caicedo,’ he said in a press conference. Then we know what we need to do. I’ve not spoken with him yet, but of course I’d like him to stay
‘If he does leave, we need to buy another great player with the same characteristics and qualities. They are difficult to find. He’s here, he’s trained three days. But he needs time to condition. Right now, there is a possibility he can leave this window.
‘What’s he worth? It’s not my job to say. But [he will be] very difficult to replace. I have no doubt he will cope if he stays. He’s a great guy. But the market isn’t closed so we must wait. He won’t play against Chelsea tomorrow – he’s not ready yet.’
‘At the moment, I have not received news that Caicedo can leave tomorrow or in the next week. I start next season with Caicedo in my head in the first XI for sure.’
Chelsea are attempting to restructure their squad under new manager Mauricio Pochettino and have already signed Christopher Nkunku, Nicolas Jackson, and Angelo this summer, while letting 13 players leave permanently.
Chelsea might however start considering alternative options if they cannot make any progress on Caicedo, especially considering their lack of depth in central midfield.
A possible alternative to Caicedo is Southampton’s Romeo Lavia. Chelsea are admirers of the teenager although they would face strong competition from Liverpool, who are in discussions with Southampton over a deal.
Southampton value Lavia at £50 million, which is at least £15 million more than Liverpool have so far indicated they are willing to pay.
