Chelsea have “tested the water” by offering £65m for Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo, according to journalist Ben Jacobs.
The Seagulls have set a £75m asking price for the Ecuadorian international so the Blues’ are not expecting their proposal to be accepted and Jacobs says a deal is more likely to happen nearer the end of the transfer window:
Brighton now want £75m+ for Moises Caicedo in January. Their CEO Paul Barber tells me the club “understand” if Caicedo wants a move but won’t sell in January unless their valuation is met. #CFC have an excellent relationship with Brighton and have tested the water around £65m. pic.twitter.com/ZRa0Pv72gH
— Ben Jacobs (@JacobsBen) January 18, 2023
Nonetheless, Graham Potter is keen to reunite with Caicedo. #CFC may have to be patient even with limited time left in January. Caicedo has just changed his agent and if a deal does comes off it might be relatively late in the window.
— Ben Jacobs (@JacobsBen) January 18, 2023
Caicedo has plenty of other suitors, including Liverpool and Newcastle, but Chelsea do look best placed to sign him, with manager Graham Potter keen to be reunited with his former player.
The 21-year-old has emerged as one of Brighton’s best performers this season, having established himself as a first-team regular. Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp has praised the midfielder’s ability, stating a couple of months ago:
“He has been magnificent. He possesses all the attributes to play really well in every area. He’s a brilliant tackler, the timing has to be spot on with the modern game. You get it wrong, you get booked, you’re on a knife edge for the rest of the game.”
“But he makes tackling look so easy. I remember Scott Parker was a magnificent tackler, used to do this very well. He can also play, he’s very progressive with his passing, looks to play people in. He’s just been a revelation since he’s come there and I’m sure a lot of clubs will be looking at him right now.”
It seems Todd Boehly and the club’s recruitment team have settled on Caicedo as their main alternative to Benfica’s Enzo Fernandez but, as Jacobs mentions, the Ecuadorian’s change of agents means patience will be required to get this deal over the line in January.