While Chelsea continue to be the frontrunners for Moises Caicedo’s signature, a stalemate in negotiations with Brighton has opened the door for Manchester City to recruit the ideal midfielder for their system.
Chelsea are keen to sign Caicedo this summer after opening negotiations with a £70m bid for the Ecuadorian, but have become frustrated in their pursuit after seeing an improved offer of £80m also rejected by Brighton.
Brighton chairman Tony Bloom is holding firm on his valuation of £100m for the midfielder. Having signed a long-term contract extension in March, Caicedo is internally valued as highly Declan Rice, who joined Arsenal for an initial £100m fee which could potentially rise to £105m.
With limited alternatives in the market, Chelsea now have little choice but to meet Brighton’s asking price to acquire a holding midfielder of Caicedo’s calibre and experience in the Premier League or instead opt for a lesser, cheaper option.
It remains to be seen if Chelsea defender Levi Colwill will be used as a makeweight in the deal. Brighton are interested in signing the centre-back on a permanent basis after a successful loan spell at the Amex last season, but boss Mauricio Pochettino is keen to keep him at the club.
While Chelsea weigh up their options, it begs the question if any other Premier League sides will test Brighton’s resolve for Caicedo.
Manchester City would be an ideal fit for the Ecuadorian, who hold both the financial power and need for midfield additions to make a move for the 21-year-old.
Following İlkay Gündoğan’s exit to Barcelona, City made their desire for another accomplished midfielder known after matching Arsenal’s £90m proposal for Declan Rice, despite having recently signed Mateo Kovačić from Chelsea.
In the event of Kyle Walker’s potential transfer to Bayern Munich, the addition of a player who is proven to be comfortable playing within the inverted right-back role would also be welcome, which Caicedo is capable of doing.
Despite focusing on signing defensive target Joško Gvardiol for the majority of the window in what would be a world record fee for a defender, the financial return of their treble achievements, demonstrated by their bid for Rice, means they should be in a strong position to bid for Caicedo should they desire.
The Rice saga demonstrated that City seem comfortable entering the race for a player relatively late, likely due to their ability to match a club’s asking price and player demands with relative ease.
Therefore, as we enter the final month of the transfer window, Manchester City’s potential interest in Caicedo could be worth keeping an eye on considering his suitability for Guardiola’s side as a versatile holding midfielder.
