"Have not left the negotiations" - Fabrizio Romano provides update on Chelsea's pursuit of long-term transfer target

Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has said that Chelsea's pursuit of Moises Caicedo is still on despite reports of the Blues' chase of the Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder stalling.

Caicedo, 21, has been a key player for the Seagulls, making 53 appearances across competitions, scoring two goals and providing three assists. He's widely regarded as one of the best defensive midfielders in the league currently. Several top Premier League clubs, including the Blues, have held long-term interest in the player.

Recent reports, though, suggest that the Stamford Bridge club's pursuit of the player has stalled, as they haven't reached an agreement with Brighton regarding a transfer fee. Romano's report, though, suggets otherwise. He tweeted:

"Chelsea have not left the negotiations for Moisés Caicedo, despite reports on Thursday. Deal on, as of today. Brighton remain on their stance after £80m bid revealed and turned down yesterday. But it didn’t change Chelsea plans."

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Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino could make some tough decisions

New manager Mauricio Pochettino has said that the Blues don't need a large squad ahead of the upcoming season. The Argentine has hinted that he could make a few tough decisions in the coming days.

Several players, like Kai Havertz, Mason Mount, N'Golo Kante, Eduardo Mendy, Kalidou Koulibaly, have left. More exits could be on the way, with Pochettino saying (via GOAL):

"That is a big job and challenge for us in the transfer window to build a good relationship and good balance. Then, if players are not happy because they believe they are not going to play, we are going to find a solution with the club and fix the situation."

He added:

"What we cannot have is a massive squad, players not be involved and then it's going to create a mess in the squad. Maybe less is more, and more is less; it is not mathematic.

"That is why I need to make clear we don't need a big squad. We need 22, 23, 24 players with some youngers, and that's it. I am so sorry because maybe the decision will be tough, but we need to build a good and balanced team who want to compete for things."

Chelsea have a great youth pool in their ranks. However, they lacked proper direction last season and suffered because of that. Pochettino is looking to steady the ship, and cutting down on the numbers could be a key step to do so.