Moisés Caicedo to Chelsea has been one of the longest-running transfer sagas of the summer. Chelsea have been determined to lure the midfielder to Stamford Bridge, with new manager Mauricio Pochettino particularly keen to strengthen this area of the pitch. Brighton & Hove Albion set a price on him however, and no club has reached that price to date.
Caicedo himself was mentioned as being keen on making the move, but he has had to be patient and hope that the two clubs can negotiate a deal to see him move to the London-based club. The Ecuadorian did not appear when the two clubs faced one another in the Premier League Summer Series recently, but did feature against Brentford and Newcastle United.
The player was very heavily linked with joining Arsenal in the last January transfer window, where it again seemed inevitable that he would move on. In the end, he remained where he is, and a few months later, in March, he would pen a new long-term contract to remain at Brighton until 2027, with the option of a further year.
The big question is where are we now with this deal? It did seem to be a daily recurrence that there would be some kind of update from a high-profile journalist regarding this deal, but all talk has quietened down over the last few days. Could this mean that Brighton will keep their man? Are Chelsea waiting until nearer the end of the window? Well, here's the deal.
Moisés Caicedo to Chelsea? Will the Brighton man be moving?
According to Sky Sports, Brighton are now confident that the player won't be leaving the club in this current transfer window. The 21-year-old is valued at a minimum of £100million by Roberto Di Zerbi's side, and Chelsea have yet to produce an offer close enough to that price. To date, an £80million was made, but ultimately rejected.
Another club recently entered the equation, an unnamed team, which could potentially cause an issue for Chelsea in their quest to sign Caicedo. Whilst the player is said to want the move, it has been reported that his attitude during pre-season has not been disruptive, with the youngster just getting his head down and carrying on as normal.
Although Brighton remain adamant he'll be staying beyond the September 1st transfer deadline, Chelsea are believed to be lining up another offer to test the resolve of the South Coast club. Brighton certainly do not want the player to go, and hope that setting the price as it is then it would detract clubs from being serious in negotiating a deal.
Nevertheless, every player has his price, and now we must wait and see if Chelsea will indeed produce a much-improved offer. The Seagulls will conclude their pre-season campaign with weekend with a home clash with La Liga side Rayo Vallecano, and it is anticipated that Caicedo will again be involved as he looks to get in top shape ahead of the Premier League returning.
Brighton expect he will be a Brighton player once the season returns, but Chelsea may have other ideas. Brighton start their league campaign with a home encounter with newly-promoted Luton Town, whereas Chelsea, under new management, begin with a mouthwatering battle with Liverpool.
