Chelsea have had a £70m bid for Moises Caicedo immediately knocked back by Brighton & Hove Albion, but they are still pursuing the central midfielder, according to a recent report from The Athletic.
Is Moises Caicedo joining Chelsea?
Caicedo's performances last season have attracted the interest of a number of top Premier League clubs, with Arsenal going as far as making a £70m bid in January, after agreeing personal terms, but Brighton were unwilling to let him leave.
Since then, several other teams have joined the race for the 21-year-old's signature, with Liverpool now said to be interested once again, as they view him as a potential replacement for Fabinho or Jordan Henderson, who could both be off to Saudi Arabia.
Manchester United also made contact with the Ecuadorian near the end of June, however it appears as though Chelsea are the most keen, with transfer expert Fabrizio Romano recently saying:
"Chelsea remain the only club in talks to sign Moisés Caicedo — also only club to agree on personal terms with Caicedo at this stage. Negotiations are active and concrete between Chelsea and Brighton, even today."
It was recently reported that the Blues were closing in on a deal totalling £80m for the Brighton star, however there may still be some way to go in the negotiations, according to the latest update from The Athletic.
Chelsea have now had an offer of £70m for the midfielder knocked back by Brighton, having previously had a £60m proposal turned down in early June.
The bid, which did not include add-ons, was made in writing on Monday, but it was immediately dismissed, and the report details the Seagulls could be set to hold out for as much as £100m.
Chelsea's pursuit of the youngster is set to continue, and the player himself is keen on a move to Stamford Bridge, having been given assurances over a transfer after Arsenal's attempt to sign him in the January transfer window.
How good is Moises Caicedo?
Back in January, Brighton podcaster Ryan Adsett hailed the starlet, alongside his former teammate Alexis Mac Allister, saying:
"Alexis Mac Allister & Moisés Caicedo are incredible to watch, too. Dynamic and fluid in their movement that retains shape for the entire team. The whole individual XI is as important as each other. Champagne football."
While the entire Brighton team may have played their part in the Seagulls' push for the Europa League, Caicedo was undoubtedly one of the stand-out performers, recording an average Sofascore rating of 7.08 in the Premier League, the fourth-highest in the squad.
The Santo Domingo-born midfielder averaged 2.7 tackles per game in the top flight, by far the highest of any player in the squad, and he also made the most interceptions, highlighting his importance to the team in a defensive sense.
That said, the 2022-23 campaign was Ecuador international's first as a regular starter for Brighton, so he is yet to prove he justifies a price tag of £100m, and Chelsea should continue trying to negotiate a lower fee.