Chelsea are allegedly prepared to make a move for Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Moises Caicedo by the end of the week.
The Blues’ pursuit of the Ecuador international has become a drawn-out affair, with neither party willing to make a compromise.
Brighton have refused to compromise on their £100 million assessment of the 21-year-old, keeping the same stance that they demonstrated to Arsenal in January.
Head coach Roberto De Zerbi is alleged to have struck a deal with Caicedo at the time, guaranteeing him a summer departure provided he focused on guiding Brighton to European football, which he achieved.
Moises Caicedo to Chelsea: A Done Deal?
Nonetheless, Chelsea have received no encouragement from their Seagulls rivals, who have chosen not to meet their demands.
Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital are alleged to have recently offered an £80 million deal, which was instantly rejected, and talks have once again come to a halt.
Chelsea, on the other hand, are growing increasingly confident that they will be able to seal a deal for their main target before the end of the week, according to The Guardian.
Brighton are thought to be undeterred on their £100 million demands, while Chelsea may be willing to accept that figure if add-ons can be included in the package.
Caicedo is said to be dissatisfied with the situation after missing Brighton’s final pre-season friendly and spending time away from the training field.
Earlier this week, CEO Paul Barber and technical director David Weir admitted that the Chelsea offer had turned Caicedo’s head.
Although De Zerbi has previously stated that he already has a replacement for Caicedo in mind, a sale would result in Brighton losing a second crucial figure in the engine room following Alexis Mac Allister’s move to Liverpool.
Chelsea head coach Mauricio Pochettino is eager to enhance his midfield, with Enzo Fernandez and Conor Gallagher the most senior alternatives.
On Thursday, it was claimed that Chelsea was close to meeting Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia’s value, who has been widely linked with Liverpool.
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