EXCLUSIVE: Caicedo REJECTS Liverpool as Brighton push against Chelsea transfer
Steve Kay
- Updated: 11 Aug 2023 12:37 BST
- 3 min read
Exclusive
Brighton did not want Moises Caicedo to complete a transfer to Chelsea, but the Seagulls’ hand may be forced by the player, who has been left furious by the whole saga, FootballTransfers can exclusively reveal.
Although Chelsea had numerous bids knocked back for the 21-year-old Ecuador midfield and appeared to be leading the race for the Brighton star, they were holding persistent secret negotiations with Liverpool and were waiting for the right moment to conclude a deal, sources close to the transfer have explained.
Liverpool agreed a British record deal of €127 million through the night of Thursday into Friday, but Caicedo was left furious with this revelation as he only wants to move to Chelsea.
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Caicedo NO to Liverpool, Brighton NO to Chelsea
While Brighton are insistent on getting the right money for the player, they only wanted to sell to the Reds due to their strong relationship with the Anfield club. Alexis Mac Allister has already moved from the AmEx Stadium to Anfield this summer.
Caicedo, for the moment, is holding firm on his insistence that he wants to move to Chelsea, with the player having revealed to Liverpool that he is not interested in a switch to Anfield.
Chelsea have been in negotiations with Brighton for over three months for the player, with personal terms between Caicedo and the Blues agreed as far back as May.
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The Stamford Bridge side, though, were eager to sign the midfielder as long ago as the January transfer window.
Caicedo subsequently signed a new contract with Brighton, and at the time it was reported that the Seagulls had promised him the opportunity to leave in the summer. This was a suggestion that has since been denied by Roberto De Zerbi.
Chelsea will now have to bid again to match Liverpool’s offer for Caicedo in order to get the transfer done, but it remains to be seen how Brighton will react to the player’s refusal to sign for the Anfield club.
