Moises Caicedo’s move to Chelsea from Brighton is “concrete” according to Fabrizio Romano, who has also revealed the Blues are “busy with offensive players”.
Caicedo has been linked with a host of clubs this summer after Arsenal failed to sign him during the January transfer window.
The Gunners had a couple of bids rejected for Caicedo, with the highest reportedly £70m as the Ecuador international told Brighton he wanted to leave, but he instead signed a new contract at the Amex until 2028.
That was agreed in the vague hope that he might stay but with a further summer transfer push for the 21-year-old in mind, and Chelsea are desperate to get the deal done.
Romano says the move is on but may “take some days” due to a “different type of negotiation”.
He said on YouTube: “I’m told the situation with Moises Caicedo is concrete and on between Chelsea and Brighton. They have decided to go with a different type of negotiation, speaking club to club, and it will take some days, so let’s see how long. Chelsea is working on it behind the scenes.
“Chelsea are busy with offensive players, but Caicedo is the priority.”
Chances are Chelsea are trying to work out how they can come up with the mammoth price tag Brighton have slapped on their prized asset.
The Telegraph claimed on Thursday that the Seagulls are ‘poised to ask for more than £100 million for Caicedo after a benchmark was set this summer with Declan Rice’s impending move to Arsenal’.
Chelsea are ‘seeking a deal’ for Caicedo but they are ‘unlikely to land him cheaply’, with Brighton hoping to ensure that there will be ‘two nine-figure deals in the Premier League’ this summer.
Rice is set to cost Arsenal an initial £100m (plus £5m extra in add-ons), while Brighton ‘want more than £100m’ for Caicedo.
Romano revealed earlier this week that ‘personal terms are not an issue’ as ‘Moises already said yes to Chelsea’.
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