Brighton provide fresh Caicedo UPDATE amid Chelsea negotiations
Cameron Smith
- Updated: 6 Aug 2023 19:20 BST
- 4 min read
Brighton & Hove Albion CEO Paul Barber has explained why Moises Caicedo was omitted from Roberto De Zerbi’s squad to face Rayo Vallecano on Sunday 6 August and has provided yet another defiant message amid transfer interest from Chelsea.
Caicedo, 21, has been the subject of major transfer talk all summer, with Mauricio Pochettino keen on bringing him to Stamford Bridge in order to partner Enzo Fernandez at the base of the Blues midfield.
However, Brighton remain adamant that the Ecuador international will not leave the AMEX Stadium unless Chelsea cough up €115 million (£100m) this summer.
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Furthermore, De Zerbi himself has said: “If Moises leaves, we will find another important player. If Moises stays, I’ll be happy for us, the team. It’s not my problem now.”
Chelsea have been pushing to sign Caicedo all summer, but have recently ventured in other directions to complete the additions of Lesley Ugochukwu (Stade Rennais), Axel Disasi (AS Monaco), and Robert Sanchez (Brighton).
Juventus’ Dusan Vlahovic remains a target, with a player-plus-cash deal involving the Serbian and Romelu Lukaku touted, while Montpellier forward Sepe Elye Wahi and Santos youngster Deivid Washington both being chased too.
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However, Caicedo remains Chelsea’s priority, although weeks of negotiations with Brighton have not yielded an agreement yet.
What has been said?
On the official Brighton club website, Barber released a statement to outline why Caicedo was not included in the squad to face Rayo Vallecano. “Moises had a slight hamstring injury late in training and was pulled out for that reason.
“With a Premier League season just a week away it makes no sense to risk him today.
“We’re looking forward to Moises starting the season with us, he’s a Brighton player under a long-term contract.”
He added: “He’s probably one of the most exciting young midfield players in the world at the moment and we’re delighted to have him.”
Caicedo’s current deal at Brighton runs until 2027 after he signed an extension back in March.
