Brighton star Moises Caicedo admits he cannot say no to Chelsea. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
Manchester United have shifted their focus to signing Moises Caicedo after Chelsea rejected their third bid for Mason Mount.
According to the Times, (h/t Football.London) Chelsea’s rejection of Mount’s third bid has seen them drop their pursuit of the midfielder, as shift attention to Brighton & Hove Albion’s in-demand midfielder. However, transfer Guru Fabrizio Romano has confirmed United are still in the race to sign Mount but are unwilling to pay over the odds..
United submitted £55 million and £5 million available in add-ons, but the Blues turned down their offer. Red Devils boss Erik Ten Hag feels the West Londoners are applying “Manchester United tax” to Mount’s deal.
As United seems to have pulled away and are now ostensibly trying to sign an Ecuadorian midfielder, the Blues appear to have been faced with two separate transfer problems. Chelsea are keen on signing the 21-year-old, and it is understood that the Seagulls are asking for £100 million for their star man.
However, a deal worth £80m fee upfront plus £10m in add-ons, could be considered doable. With Mount showing little interest in penning an extension, Chelsea are best served to cash in on the Englishman and then reinvest in Caicedo.
The Blues have been quite active throughout the transfer window and look set to part ways with several players. It should free up both wages and finances for a summer splurge.
Since Caicedo has almost agreed to personal terms with Chelsea, we have the edge in the race to land him. Whether Man United can make a better offer or are just trying to get back at us remains to be seen.
Fabrizio Romano, after all, has claimed that United have not ended the pursuit of Mount but won’t match Chelsea’s £65m valuation of the midfielder. By shifting their attention to Caicedo, they might just be trying to force our hand.
So yet, we are unsure of their intentions; they could be playing a game with us, but that would be absurd given that they can afford Mount’s cost and go for Caicedo who is considerably more expensive. Either way, the ball is in our court on both fronts.
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