Chelsea are reportedly preparing to take the next step in their bid to sign Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Moises Caicedo.
During the first half of the summer transfer window, owners Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital have had to place their focus on balancing the books at Stamford Bridge.
As it stands, 11 players from last season's squad are no longer present at Stamford Bridge, with that being offset by just two senior arrivals in Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson.
Nevertheless, with further headway with regards to FFP criteria expected to occur in due course, Chelsea are in a position where they can attempt to strengthen the centre of their midfield.
With N'Golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Mason Mount all moving elsewhere, that has become a priority position for newly-appointed head coach Mauricio Pochettino.
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The West Londoners are known to be eager to secure a deal for Caicedo as soon as possible, with the clubs currently in discussions over an eventual fee for the Ecuador international.
As it stands, it appears that there is an impasse with Brighton currently looking for a figure close to £100m and Chelsea yet to go close to that figure.
However, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano on Twitter, Chelsea plan to lodge an improved proposal at some point over the coming days.
Chelsea allegedly intend to offer more than £70m as a fixed fee, with add-ons likely to be included in any bid, leaving Brighton to consider their position.
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Head coach Roberto De Zerbi is said to have a pact with Caicedo that he can leave the Europa League qualifiers this summer, providing that Brighton receive their desired fee.
Caicedo has already publicly acknowledged that he would 'not be able to say no' if Chelsea were able to agree terms with Brighton ahead of 2023-24.
Brighton's hardball stance has come at a time when Chelsea have refused to budge over Levi Colwill, who starred on the South Coast during 2022-23 but appears in line to remain at Chelsea for the upcoming campaign.
De Zerbi has already witnessed Alexis Mac Allister, another key component of his midfield, leave for Liverpool, with James Milner and Mahmoud Dahoud having currently been acquired on free transfers. as alternatives
Should Caicedo eventually move to Chelsea, Brighton would likely respond in the transfer market, with the club already in an immensely strong position with FFP due to the business that they conducted in the previous two transfer windows.
Darren Plant
