Chelsea saw a £70m ($91.7m) bid for Moses Caicedo rejected by Brighton & Hove Albion.
The offer – which did not include the add-ons – was submitted in writing on Monday and rejected, but Chelsea’s pursuit continues. They previously saw a £60m bid for the midfielder rejected in early June.
Caicedo flew straight to the US from Ecuador for Brighton’s pre-season tour.
The south coast club is ready for the possibility of losing Caicedo, provided the asking price is met.
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the athlete It was reported last month that Brighton were seeking £100m for Caicedo, especially given that he signed a new contract in March. Brighton previously rejected the approach of Chelsea and Arsenal in January.
Chelsea are now Caicedo’s main suitor and the 21-year-old remains keen on a move to the west side of London, having secured confirmation of a move after interest in January.
The situation is complicated by Brighton’s desire to sign Chelsea defender Levi Colwell, who they have already seen a £30m bid rejected.
Colwell had a successful loan spell at Brighton last season, but Chelsea intend to be part of Mauricio Pochettino’s first team next season, particularly due to injuries to Benoit Badiachel and Wesley Fofana.
Despite this, Brighton remains keen on the England Under-21 international and is believed to be open to a return to the Amex Stadium, after helping Roberto De Zerby’s men overtake Chelsea and qualify for the Europa League.
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Brighton have already lost midfielder Alexis McAllister this summer, with the World Cup winner joining Liverpool. They have already moved to cement this departure, with the signings of James Milner and Mahmoud Daoud on free transfers.
Caicedo made 37 appearances in the Premier League last season, the majority of which he played as a defensive midfielder.
The Ecuadorian international joined Brighton from Independiente del Valle – the same club Chelsea signed Kindre Paez from – in 2021. Caicedo spent the first half of the 2021-22 season on loan in Belgium with Beerschot, before returning to Brighton in January.
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(Photo: Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
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