Chelsea look to be ahead of Arsenal in the race for the transfer of Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo as they prepare to make a new bid for him soon.
The idea is for the Blues to table an improved offer for the talented young Ecuador international, whereas Arsenal like the player but are not currently in any active negotiations for him, according to Fabrizio Romano in the latest edition of his exclusive CaughtOffside column.
“Chelsea will also bid again for Moises Caicedo,” Romano said.
“The idea is to make an official bid to Brighton, with personal terms very close with the player. Discussions are ongoing on the player side, but for sure they will also open negotiations with Brighton soon.
“How much Chelsea will bid or when this bid will happen is hard to predict for sure. However, Armando Broja and Conor Gallagher are NOT part of the conversation as of now.
“Despite reports, Arsenal are not in active negotiations for Caicedo as of now – they like the player, but they are not working on this deal at the moment.”
Caicedo shone for Brighton in the Premier League last season, showing himself to be one of the finest players in Europe in his position, and a big move has seemed inevitable for some time now.
It will be interesting to see if Chelsea can remain in the strongest position for Caicedo, as one imagines Arsenal could be a more appealing destination if they decide to join the race for the 21-year-old.
Unlike Chelsea, who finished in mid-table and won’t be in Europe at all next season, Arsenal are back in the Champions League and pushed Manchester City pretty close in last season’s title race.
Caicedo may also feel, however, that Chelsea will be a good opportunity for him as the club will now be managed by Mauricio Pochettino, while their other talented young signings will have had a bit more time to settle in.