Chelsea in talks to sign Moises Caicedo but have also included Romeo Lavia as his alternative
According to Daily Mail, Chelsea already reached an agreement with Moises Caicedo for his signing, but the key issue remains the negotiation with Brighton & Hove Albion, which has seen them include Romeo Lavia as Caicedo’s alternative.
Chelsea so far have not expressed their desire to pay the £100 million asking price for the midfielder, which has kept negotiations going. It is understood that the Ecuadorian midfielder will fly with the Seagulls for their pre-season games in the USA.
However, the midfielder has now openly admitted that he is willing to join the West Londoners, but both clubs have yet to agree on an ideal fee for the 21-year-old.
He also tried forcing his move away from the club in the winter window to Arsenal, but Brighton blocked the move. But the Seagulls are prepared to part ways with the midfielder in the summer window, perhaps thinking they achieved what they wanted last term with a sixth-placed finish.
The Blues are also interested in signing Southampton midfielder Lavia but will face competition from Liverpool, and the Saints are demanding £50 million for the 19-year-old.
So far, the Blues have prioritised the signing of Caicedo, and it remains to be seen how things unfold in the coming days, as there has not been any fruitful discussion with Brighton. He costs double the price Lavia is valued at.
Both are excellent midfielders who demonstrated their versatility in the Premier League last season, but Caicedo could be a better addition than Lavia because of his greater maturity and defensive solidity. He just seems further along the developmental curve than his Belgian counterpart.
The 19-year-old won’t be a shabby alternative either. He was one of the Saints’ best players in a poor 2022-23 season which saw them get relegated.
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However, the Ecuadorian has been the Blues’ major focus so far, and the discussions are still in progress. We haven’t been shy to throw the cash when it came to winning the race to sign the likes of Mykhaylo Mudryk and Enzo Fernandez. Perhaps Brighton also know this. We need Caicedo but we must make sure we aren’t rinsed financially by the Seagulls in the process.