"Chelsea's Pursuit of Moises Caicedo Hits a £100m Roadblock as Brighton Plays Hardball"

 

Chelsea are concerned that they may need to spend a significant amount of money to secure the signing of Moises Caicedo during the summer transfer window. This apprehension arises from Brighton's demand for £100m to release the Ecuadorian international.

Following a substantial departure of players in the previous months, including Mason Mount, Mateo Kovacic, and N'Golo Kante, Chelsea's midfield has been left with a substantial void. Consequently, Mauricio Pochettino, the manager, has identified Caicedo as his preferred choice to fill this gap.

Towards the end of the previous season, Caicedo reached a personal agreement with Chelsea, fostering hope that a transfer fee could be mutually agreed upon with Brighton before the Blues embarked on their pre-season tour in the United States.

Regrettably, Brighton promptly rejected Chelsea's initial bid of £60m for Caicedo. While Chelsea did not have high expectations for their initial offer to be accepted, they considered it a reasonable starting point for negotiations.

The Blues believed that Brighton valued the midfielder closer to £75m, given their refusal of a bid of nearly £70m from Arsenal in January.