Chelsea signing Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo in a £70m deal is still "possible" this summer despite the saga dragging on and on, according to journalist Ben Jacobs.
Is Caicedo a Chelsea target?
The Seagulls star stood out as one of his side's best players last season, proving to be part of a hugely impressive midfield alongside Alexis Mac Allister and Pascal Gross.
Caicedo is widely expected to move on during the summer transfer window, as has been the case with Mac Allister moving to Liverpool, with one of the Premier League's biggest clubs likely to snap him up.
Chelsea have arguably emerged as the favourites to sign the 21-year-old this summer, with major reinforcements required after the exits of N'Golo Kante and Mateo Kovacic. They may not have it all their own way, though, with Arsenal also seen as strong contenders to sign him.
What's the latest news on Caicedo to Chelsea?
Taking to Twitter, Jacobs said that a whopping £70m move for Caicedo could be on the cards in the near future, perhaps music to the ears of Blues fans starting to worry over a lack of progress in the saga:
"CFC focused on Moises Caicedo for now. Still told circa £70m plus add-ons is possible."
Caicedo could be a wonderful signing by Chelsea before the new Premier League season gets underway, bringing youth and quality in the middle of the park – something that felt lacking last season, with age and injuries beginning to catch up with both Kante and Kovacic.
The Brighton man could be the perfect foil for Enzo Fernandez at Stamford Bridge, biting into tackles, providing energy and also bringing quality on the ball. Last season, he averaged 2.7 tackles per game in the league – only Marc Cucurella (2.8) averaged more out of Chelsea's entire squad – but he also enjoyed an 88.8% pass completion rate.
At 21, Chelsea would be signing someone who could be a mainstay of the midfield for a decade, and the fact that he can play as a right-back on occasions is an added positive, with versatility something that Mauricio Pochettino is likely to admire in any of his new signings.
While the mooted £70m amount is clearly a lot of money, Caicedo would be a long-term investment who could play a huge role in the Blues' change in fortunes moving forward after such a poor season, having been hailed as a "magnificent" player by Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp in the recent past.