Chelsea hit a major hurdle in their pursuit of South American superstar

Chelsea have hit a stumbling block in their pursuit of Moises Caicedo

Chelsea FC’s talks with Brighton & Hove Albion are going off the rails as they hit a stumbling block in their pursuit of their top midfielder target, Moises Caicedo in the ongoing summer transfer window.

According to the Guardian, (h/t Football.London) the Seagulls are insistent that Levi Colwill is included as a part of the deal for Caicedo, with talks with Brighton are now taking a U-turn. This isn’t good news for Chelsea as they seek to rebuild before the 2023-24 season kicks off.

The Amex-based side want to sign the Chelsea centre-back, who enjoyed a season-long loan spell at Brighton and is now back at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea have confirmed the 20-year-old is not for sale and consider him a future star at the club.

This has slowed down Chelsea’s pursuit of Caicedo, as the Seagulls are demanding £100 million for the midfielder, which the Blues are hesitant to pay. It would be a huge outlay indeed, especially given our lavish moves in recent windows.

The 21-year-old has openly claimed he wants to sign for Chelsea, and now the Blues only want to reach an agreement with Brighton to complete the signing. However with talks not budging, something has got to give.

The departure of N’Golo Kante has left us without a solid defensive midfielder who can be relied upon. With Mateo Kovacic and Mason Mount also out, the Blues lack serious experience in the middle of the park. Despite being 21, Caicedo is fairly experienced in the Premier League and can future-proof the role for years to come.

A price of £80 million is fair for Caicedo and represents a fine return for Brighton. Adding Colwill into the mix is a double blow for us, also risking us the loss of a potential superstar who can anchor the defence for years to come. Surely it doesn’t make sense for us to take a step forward only to take another back.

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Brighton seem to be trying our patience, which will likely result in us walking away from the deal or having to pay £100 million for the midfielder. Given that the club made guarantees that he might leave during the summer transfer window, the Ecuadorian may be dissatisfied with Brighton and will hopefully put in a transfer request.