Chelsea are “set to make” a £90m offer for Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo, according to The Sun.

The English tabloid claims the Blues are expected to make a fourth bid for the Ecuadorian international, after having proposals of £60m, £70m and £80m turned down previously.

Caicedo is believed to be a top target for manager Mauricio Pochettino with it being reported that the Argentine is “hell-bent” on securing the 21-year-old’s services before the transfer window closes on September 1st.

Chelsea had been hoping that Brighton would climb down on their £100m asking price but, so far, Seagulls owner Tony Bloom has stuck to his guns.

The betting tycoon and poker player is thought to be adamant that Caicedo is worth a similar figure to Declan Rice, who was sold to Arsenal for £105m last month.

Caicedo does have other suitors

On Thursday, it emerged that a rival Premier League club had made an offer for the Ecuadorian, which reportedly exceeded Chelsea’s previous £80m bid. Whether this information was fed out to the media by Brighton to force Chelsea’s hand, it isn’t known.

There have also been suggestions that a team in Saudi Arabia has taken an interest in Caicedo, although no formal approach has been made so far.

Chelsea are considering alternatives

A number of other midfielders have been mentioned in the press in recent days as the Blues seriously contemplate dropping their interest in Caicedo.

Leeds’ Tyler Adams, Ajax’s Edson Alvarez and Everton’s Amadou Onana are some of the options being looked at but, if The Sun is to be believed, Chelsea are going to make one final effort to sign their top target.

Whether it will lead to an agreement with Brighton, we shall have to wait and see. Despite the fraught negotiations over Caicedo, the Seagulls do have a good relationship with Chelsea, so a successful conclusion is still possible.