Chelsea allegedly made an £80 million bid for Ecuadorian midfielder Moises Caicedo, but Brighton & Hove Albion turned it down immediately they received the bid.
The west London club has already had two bids for the 21-year-old rejected, as Brighton are holding out for a price of more than £100 million.
Mauricio Pochettino, the new manager of Chelsea, is looking to boost his midfield options after Mateo Kovacic, N’Golo Kante, and Ruben Loftus-Cheek all departed the club earlier in the summer season.
Caicedo’s achievements since joining the south coast club from Independiente del Valle in 2021 have made him one of the most sought-after midfielders in the country; Arsenal had a £60 million bid turned down by Brighton in January.
The Ecuadorian international later agreed to terms on a new deal with Brighton in March that runs until 2027 following a brief standoff with the team over the unsuccessful move.
Roberto De Zerbi, the manager of Brighton, stated last week that he intended to start the season with Caicedo, but he also acknowledged that the midfielder may leave the team if Chelsea offered owner Tony Bloom’s asking price.
De Zerbi also disputed that Caicedo has an agreement to depart Brighton this summer.
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 seeking to rebuild its team under new manager Mauricio Pochettino, and have already added Christopher Nkunku, Nicolas Jackson, and Angelo this summer, while allowing 13 players go on permanent basis.
Chelsea may begin to investigate other possibilities if they are unable to make headway on Caicedo, especially given their lack of depth in central midfield.
Romeo Lavia of Southampton is a probable replacement for Caicedo. Chelsea are interested in the teenager, but they would face stiff competition from Liverpool, who are in talks with Southampton over a deal.
Southampton values Lavia at £50 million, which is at least £15 million more than Liverpool has stated they are ready to spend thus far.
