The Moises Caicedo transfer saga took a new twist after the Chelsea target was left out of the Brighton squad for their final pre-season fixture.
Chelsea are reportedly working on a deal to bring the Ecuadorian to Stamford Bridge having courted him for the majority of the summer so far.
Reports suggest that Chelsea have already had four bids knocked back, with the Seagulls holding out £100m for their midfielder.
With the summer departures of Mateo Kovacic, N’Golo Kante and Mason Mount, the midfield is looking incredibly light of options before the season starts next weekend.
Caicedo has stayed quiet on the transfer saga so far while Roberto De Zerbi has admitted there is a possibility the midfielder will leave with the battle to sign the midfielder taking a new twist.
Caicedo didn’t feature in the Brighton friendly against Rayo Vallecano which could ultimately open the door for Chelsea.
Can Chelsea’s summer spending continue?
So far, Mauricio Pochettino’s side have allowed ten first team players to leave Stamford Bridge this summer, bringing in fees of up to £220m according to Transfermarkt.
The club have also just announced the signing of Robert Sanchez for £25m from Brighton, adding to their recent splurge on assets from the south coast with Marc Cucurella and Graham Potter recently making the move.
In addition, the club have spent £178m on new signings with the potential for more wiggle room in the budget after the departures.
The recruitment strategy has been bold, with the number of signings raising eyebrows over the last 12 months.
But with Pochettino now at the helm and the need to fill significant gaps in the team, the club needs to continue to add to their squad. With Caicedo missing out on the latest friendly, it would be a surprise to see that deal not be concluded over the next couple of weeks.
