Chelsea given 'VISIBLE' Caicedo boost in Brighton friendly
Robin Bairner
- 27 Jul 2023 08:42 BST
- 3 min read
Chelsea’s prospects of landing Moises Caicedo from Brighton may hinge on being able to negotiate a transfer fee with the south coast club – but it appears the player will do his part to get a deal over the line.
Caicedo was involved in Brighton’s 2-0 friendly win over Brentford in the US on Wednesday, playing the final 30 minutes as a substitute, but it was evident from his body language during that encounter that his mind is elsewhere.
The 21-year-old was calm in possession and showed a good deal of poise, while he even offered one good effort on goal, but it was evident from the manner in which he approached the game that he wants to leave for Chelsea.
MORE: Teammate Lukaku would ‘DIE FOR’ slams Chelsea striker
One report in Ecuador stated: “Due to the sobriety with which he played the game, Moise’s Caicedo’s desire to leave is visible, due to the economic advantages he will receive at Chelsea, even if he would not play European football there as he would if he stayed at Brighton.”
Fellow Ecuador international Pervis Estupinan also featured for the Seagulls in that encounter.
OFFICIAL: Colwill STAYS at Chelsea after €20m deal agreed
How close are Chelsea to signing Caicedo?
Moises Caicedo’s transfer to Chelsea is moving at what Sky Sports have called a “glacial” rate.
Brighton are holding out for a fee in the region of €115 million (£100m) as they rate the player in the same bracket as Declan Rice, who left West Ham to sign for Arsenal in this window for that type of transfer fee.
Chelsea, meanwhile, are refusing to budge from their position of €81m (£70m), leaving the situation deadlocked.
FootballTransfers revealed on Monday that Brighton are growing frustrated with the situation, with manager Roberto Di Zerbe having indicated that there was never a promise to the midfielder that he would be given a transfer this summer after he signed a new contract at the end of the January transfer window.
Caicedo is currently under contract with Brighton until 2027.
