Chelsea have received a boost in the form of a promising update for their reported midfield target Moises Caicedo, amid their attempts to improve their squad depth ahead of the start of the Premier League season.
Chelsea Receive Mosies Caicedo Boost
BREAKING: Moises Caicedo will not be included in Brighton's squad for today's pre-season friendly against Rayo Vallecano. ❌pic.twitter.com/7EjwOnchxh
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) August 6, 2023
What Did Brighton Do With Caicedo?
As per Sky Sports, Brighton & Hove Albion decided against including the midfielder for their pre-season friendly game against La Liga side Rayo Vallecano on Sunday, August 6, which finished as a 1-1 draw. This was their final game before the start of the league campaign.
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It is further added that Roberto de Zerbi has done this to give the 21-year-old the weekend off and keep him fresh for their Premier League opener. The Blues still really want to sign him even after having an £80 million bid rejected for him, claims Sky.
However, it is stated that the Seagulls are determined to want £100 million to let him leave and currently do not believe that any club will be able to make that offer to them. This is assumed to be the reason why they are proceeding with plans of having the Ecuadorian in their squad after the end of the summer transfer window in early September.
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Chelsea’s Game of Chess With Brighton Continues
Brighton CEO Paul Barber decided to address speculation over the Ecuadorian’s absence in the friendly game. He said: “Moises had a slight hamstring injury late in training and was pulled out for that reason.
With the Premier League season just a week away it makes no sense to risk him today. We are looking forward to Moises starting the season with us, he is a Brighton player under a long-term contract.”
This, however, is unlikely to deter Chelsea’s attempts to get him. The Blues have been involved in negotiations with the Albion for a long time and were recently able to secure the signing of their goalkeeper Robert Sanchez. Fabrizio Romano states that Moises Caicedo made it clear that he wants to leave the Seagulls this summer and that negotiations between the two clubs continue over a deal.
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The 21-year-old Ecuador International, who was hailed as a “fantastic” player by Lewis Dunk last year, will probably need to wait and hope that Mauricio Pochettino’s club can secure an agreement for him to move to Stamford Bridge anytime soon.
Featured Image: Ank Kumar, CC-BY-SA 4.0.
