Report: Brighton rejects new Chelsea bid for Caicedo
Published
Brighton has rejected a new bid from Chelsea for Ecuador midfielder Moises Caicedo, according to multiple reports.
The offer was believed to be in the range of £80 million for the 21-year-old Caicedo and represents a third time that the Blues have been rebuffed in their approach for the player.
Caicedo is currently with the Seagulls in the United States for their preseason schedule.
Last week, manager Roberto de Zerbi said that he intended to have Caicedo in his squad as the Seagulls embark on their first ever European campaign with the team having finished sixth last season in the Premier League and earning a spot in Europa League.
"I spoke with [Brighton owner] Tony Bloom and he told me if the conditions don't change, Moises stays with us," de Zerbi said. "For me, it should be great news because it is difficult to find another player like Moises. If Moises leaves we have to find another player of the same level because we deserve to play the next season with the same [roster quality]. We deserve to play in the Europa League and we want to compete at our best."
A native of Santo Domingo, Caicedo joined Brighton from Ecuadorian side Independiente de Valle in January of 2021 and was immediately loaned out for the rest of the season to Belgian side Beerschot. In his two seasons with the Seagulls, Caicedo has made 45 Premier League appearances.
Internationally, Caicedo has been capped 32 times by La Tri and impressed with his showing at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Brighton is set to open their 2023-2024 season on August 12 at home to Premier League debutants Luton Town.