Chelsea submit fresh Moises Caicedo bid after desperate Pochettino transfer plea

Chelsea have been dealt another major blow to their hopes of signing Moises Caicedo. The 21-year-old has been heavily linked with a move to Stamford Bridge this summer as Mauricio Pochettino looks to further bolster his midfielder options.

According to Fabrizio Romano, the Blues have submitted a new bid for Caicedo in the last 24 hours. The report states that Chelsea offered Brighton a deal worth £80million, but it was immediately rejected despite the Ecuador international’s desire to leave the Amex Stadium.

Despite the Seagulls’ stubborn stance, the west Londoners remain determined to sign Caicedo, who has recently confirmed his desire to join the club. While Chelsea once looked well positioned to secure the Ecuadorian’s signature, they’re running out of time with the new season set to commence in nearly two weeks.

football.london understands that Caicedo has verbally agreed personal terms with the west Londoners, though nothing has been signed yet. And, until then, the midfielder will continue to prepare for the upcoming campaign as a Brighton player.

Ahead of the Seagulls’ clash against Brentford on Wednesday evening, Roberto De Zerbi urged Caicedo to remain focused on the task at hand. The Italian said: “My deadline is the ego - the attitude of him inside the dressing room and the pitch.

“The other thing is not my problem. I’m happy if Moises stays and plays with us. We will play anyway without him. We have to be ready to find another midfielder if Caicedo leaves.”

Ahead of Chelsea’s pre-season clash against Newcastle United, however, Pochettino insisted that he needs at least one more midfielder before the new season. Following the departures of N’Golo Kante, Mason Mount and Mateo Kovacic, the Blues find themselves short on options in the middle of the park.

READ MORE:Chelsea news and transfers LIVE: ‘Done deal’, Caicedo bid, Colwill talks, Kudus move, Lavia interest

“It depends on the situation of different players,” said 51-year-old. “We need at least one more and we are working on that. It depends on what happens in the next few weeks. We will decide and take our decision”

Then, when asked to confirm his transfer plan, Pochettino added: “That is the idea. We are working, the club is working on that. We need to add some player there. We need one more with experience.”

Which of the following prospects would you like to see in the first team, or loaned out for experience? Swipe to have your say…

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