Chelsea are moving quickly to completed their stunning seventh signing of the season, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano. The Blues are now after Brighton’s Moises Caicedo who is indeed the talk of the town at the moment. Caicedo has put in a public transfer request by releasing a statement on social media, as Brighton continue to block his potential move away from the club.
While the Seagulls are ready to sell him in the summer, Caicedo wants out now. Chelsea, along with Arsenal have registered firm interest in the 21-year-old, who could even fetch Brighton a record transfer fee. They have already rejected two bids for the Ecuador international; a £55m offer from Chelsea and a £60 bid from Arsenal. However, with the player himself pushing for an exit, Romano claims Chelsea have already approached his agents.
‘The interest of Chelsea is 100% confirmed’ – Romano on Blues’ Caicedo pursuit
Moises Caicedo has attracted interest not only from the London duo, but also from the likes of Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur. Brighton too have anticipated his sale, but not this month. The Seagulls want their 2021 recruit to finish the season in east coast, and then move on to either London or Manchester in the summer. However, with the overwhelming interest shown in him, Caicedo is unwilling to wait until then.
But neither the player, nor Chelsea are giving up on a transfer to happen in the next hours. According to Fabrizio Romano, the Blues have already established contacts with Caicedo’s agents for a potential move. It was reported by the Italian journalist last week that Chelsea are waiting for the midfielder to switch his representatives to hold talks. And he just did that a couple of days ago, prompting Chelsea to open talks with his new agents as Romano revealed:
“They’re still having conversations with the agents and already spoke to Brighton a few days ago. The interest of Chelsea is 100% confirmed in Caicedo.”
Chelsea are trying to use their manager Graham Potter’s influence to try and entice Caicedo to West London. It was Potter who gave the Ecuadorian his debut at Brighton after signing him for £15m from Independiente. The midfielder further blossomed under the former Seagulls’ manager, making 16 appearances in his tenure; the second most games he has played under a manager.
Potter’s current employers are taking strides to get a deal done for his former associate, who apparently has upset Brighton by putting out a public transfer request. The midfielder’s statement came after Brighton rebuffed Arsenal’s £60m bid for him, which could have made him his club’s record sale. He also expressed his desire to experience the ‘magnificent opportunity’ that has come his way. His statement read:
“I am grateful to Mr. Bloom and Brighton for giving me the chance to come to the Premier League and I feel I have always done my best for them. I always play football with a smile and with heart. I am the youngest of 10 siblings from a poor upbringing in Santa Domingo in Ecuador. My dream always to be the most decorated player in the history of Ecuador.
“I am proud to be able to bring in a record transfer fee for Brighton which would allow them to reinvest it and help the club continue to be successful. The fans have taken me into their hearts and they will always be in my heart so I hope they can understand why I want to take up this magnificent opportunity.”