August 10th 2023.
Chelsea are pushing to sign Ecuador international Moises Caicedo before their Premier League opener against Liverpool this Sunday. The Blues have seen multiple offers for the midfielder rejected by Brighton, including an offer of £80 million last week.
However, The Independent reports that Chelsea have now made progress during negotiations this week, with Brighton demanding a £90m fee up front. According to the report, there has been some breakthrough on the structure of a potential deal, but Chelsea's proposal will need to be in excess of £90m in order to convince Brighton to sell.
The 21-year-old Caicedo has been absent for Brighton’s 1-1 draw against Rayo Vallecano on Sunday due to a hamstring injury and also missed Monday's training session in an apparent move to force a transfer.
Chelsea have also entered the race with Liverpool to sign Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia. Liverpool have made the 19-year-old one of their priority targets for the summer transfer window but their latest offer of £45m was turned down by Southampton this week.
However, Chelsea have now beaten Liverpool’s proposal by submitting a £48m bid to Southampton on Wednesday evening. Southampton have been holding out for a £50m fee for the 19-year-old, who they signed in a £14m deal from Manchester City last year.
It remains to be seen if Chelsea will be able to sign both players before their Premier League opener against Liverpool. With the transfer window closing this Thursday, the Blues will have to act quickly to get both deals over the line.
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