Brighton have priced their star player, Moises Caicedo, at over £100m following the impending move of Declan Rice to Arsenal.
That’s according to Mike McGrath of The Daily Telegraph, who claims that Brighton believe their prized asset is now worth more than £100 million.
Arsenal seemed the most likely destination for the Ecuadorian back in January, but the Gunners saw two bids rejected, before pivoting to Chelsea to sign Italian midfielder Jorginho.
Chelsea, under new manager Mauricio Pochettino, are in the midst of a summer clear-out following the cash that has been splashed by Clearlake Capital and Todd Boehly in the last two windows but are keen to add some steel to their midfield ranks.
The impending Declan Rice deal sets a precedent
The transfer of Declan Rice from West Ham to Arsenal which is believed to be in the region of £105 million is said to have made Brighton’s price point for the midfielder even clearer.
It’s hard to disagree with Tony Bloom and Brighton, Caicedo was superb in his first full season in the Premier League. According to FBREF, a statistical website, the 21-year-old ranks highly for both tackles (2.87 per 90) and interceptions (1.61 per 90), this could be the steel that Chelsea are so desperately missing.
With N’Golo Kante, Matteo Kovacic, and Jorginho all departing Chelsea in the past six months, Chelsea are in need of quality replacements and the current Brighton man certainly is that.
A midfield pairing of Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo in Pochettino’s preferred 4-2-3-1 system would be a joy to watch for Chelsea fans at Stamford Bridge. With the combative nature of Caicedo and the air of quality with his passing and his technical ability of Fernandez, it could well be a perfect midfield – with another new signing, Christopher Nkunku, ahead of them in the number 10 role.
Chelsea may well need to sell more to be able to prize the Ecuadorian away from the Amex Stadium, especially at the £100 million price being quoted.
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