Chelsea are looking to wrap up an £80m deal for Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo this week, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.
The Blues have been heavily linked with a move for the Brighton midfielder but as of now, the two clubs are yet to agree a deal. Ben Jacobs reported this week that Caicedo’s camp is pushing for a speedy resolution after Chelsea’s latest bid was rejected.
Jacobs says that there will be a face to face talks in America ahead of a potential move. The Blues desperately need to bolster their midfield after selling the likes of N’Golo Kante, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Mateo Kovacic, and Mason Mount.
David Ornstein reported for The Athletic that Chelsea made an improved second offer worth £70m plus add-ons for the services of the 21-year-old midfielder – who has already agreed personal terms with the London outfit.
There is a belief that a deal can be struck and Jones says that this could be the week when the resolution will finally take place. Chelsea are prepared to pay around £80m for Caicedo, and Jones claims the Blues need to include add-ons in the deal for Brighton to sell their prized asset.
Jones said to Give Me Sport:
“The Caicedo transfer is becoming a bit of a bore-fest because we’ve all been anticipating it for months. Everyone knows they want him, but nothing formal has been lodged.
“From a Chelsea point of view, that’s not a bad thing because it means they haven’t been wasting their time with lowball offers. Instead, they have been laying the foundations for the deal and working out how they get their man at a price that works for them.
“I think this might be the week this deal moves closer. Chelsea are about to jet off for their pre-season tour, and in the meantime, they need to work on raising the quality of the midfield in time for the new season.
“They want him at £80m. I am still being told that is Chelsea’s aim in this one. So, let’s see how Brighton deal with that. I imagine they will say that £80m is ok, but it also needs to be topped up with add-ons.”
Get it done
Jones is absolutely spot on here. The Blues cannot afford to further delay. They have already sold three quality midfielders this summer, and they need solid replacements.
Caicedo was outstanding for Brighton last season and he would be a perfect like-for-like replacement for Kante. Last season, he was second on the list of players who made the most tackles (100) and interceptions (56) and was third on the list of players to have won more possession for the side in the midfield third (142).
An offer of around £70m plus add-ons were not enough for Brighton to consider negotiating for Caicedo, but if the Blues can come up with a bid of around £80m, it could tempt them to sell him. This could be a decisive week for the Blues if they want to get his signature.
