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Chelsea will reportedly have to cough up £100 million in order to land their top transfer target Moises Caicedo from Brighton & Hove Albion this summer, according to the Telegraph.
The Ecuadorian international has emerged as a priority signing for the Blues as they look to strengthen their midfield department ahead of next season. However, landing Caicedo may not be an easy task as Brighton currently value the 21-year-old midfielder at £100 million.
Brighton's valuation of Caicedo is said to have been influenced by Declan Rice's impending record-breaking transfer from West Ham United to Arsenal.
The Gunners have reportedly reached an agreement for a £105 million deal with the Hammers for Rice's transfer. This would make him the most-expensive English player of all time, thus surpassing Jack Grealish's move from Aston Villa to Manchester City.
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Brighton consider Caicedo to be on the same level as Rice as they are considered two of the best holding midfielders in the PL. As such, the Seagulls would demand a similar fee from Chelsea for the Ecuadorian.
According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Caicedo has already agreed personal terms with Chelsea and only an agreement between the clubs is remaining.
Caicedo joined Brighton in 2021 from Ecuadorian club Independiente del Valle for a fee in the region of £4.5 million. Should they succeed in getting close to their asking price for the player, it would be another remarkable piece of business from the Seagulls.
It will be interesting to see if the Blues will fork out such a huge amount of money for Caicedo this summer, having demonstrated their willingness to splash the cash in recent transfer windows.
How did Chelsea transfer target perform for Brighton last season?
The 21-year-old Ecuadorian was one of the key players for Brighton during the recently concluded 2022-23 season, which saw them finish sixth in the league table.
Caicedo's performances in midfield were incredibly impressive and caught the eyes of a number of top teams, including Chelsea, Arsenal, and Manchester United.
Caicedo ended the 2022-23 football campaign with 43 appearances for Brighton across competitions, scoring one goal and providing one assist. He was the second-highest appearance maker for the club last season.
