Roberto De Zerbi warns Chelsea to back off and demands £100 million. Moises Caicedo will start at Brighton for the upcoming season, but rumours that they would give them in-demand Levi Colwill could help them close a deal.
The manager of Brighton, Roberto De Zerbi, has warned Chelsea not to pursue Moises Caicedo, a £100 million star, but he also made a suggestion that the Blues would be convinced to split ways with the Ecuadorian if they offered an exchange for Levi Colwill.
Mauricio Pochettino’s team has reportedly been preparing a bid for the Brighton player and is anticipated to make a $80 million offer after losing interest in Juventus attacker Dusan Vlahovic, according to Mail Sport.
It occurs as a preseason friendly between Brighton and Chelsea is scheduled to take place on Saturday night in Philadelphia.
A £70 million deal for the Ecuadorian international was already rejected by the London club this week, as Brighton wanted to hold onto the 21-year-old potential after he signed a new contract with the team in March.
De Zerbi acknowledged that he was hoping Caicedo would be in his squad to begin the upcoming season, but he also acknowledged that the team was preparing for life without him.
In a press conference, he stated, “We need to wait and see what happens with Caicedo.” Then we are aware of what to do. Although I haven’t yet spoken with him, I obviously want him to stay.
“If he does depart, we must find another outstanding player with the same traits and qualities.” They are challenging to locate. He is present and has trained for three days. However, he needs time to train. He might be able to escape this window right now.
How much is he worth? I’m not supposed to say. But it will be very challenging to replace [him]. If he continues, I have no doubt that he will manage. He is a fantastic person. However, the market is open, so we must wait. He won’t play tomorrow against Chelsea because he isn’t yet ready.
“At this time, I have not heard anything that Caicedo can leave tomorrow or next week,” he continued. I will definitely have Caicedo in my starting XI when the new season begins.
The midfielder, who originally signed with the Seagulls in 2021, recently declared that he “would be open to joining Chelsea,” referring to the London club as a “beautiful team.”
He attempted to convince Arsenal to sign him earlier this year, but his efforts were unsuccessful, and Brighton instead signed him to a new contract that would keep him with them until 2027.
He has established himself as a crucial player of De Zerbi’s team, particularly in helping them secure a spot in the Europa League after starting in 34 league games the previous year.
In reference to the essential midfielder’s future, De Zerbi said, “I spoke with Tony Bloom and he told me if the conditions don’t change, Moises stays with us.”
It should be fantastic news for me because it is hard to find another outstanding talent.
If Moises leaves, we’ll need to locate a replacement with an equivalent skill set.
Colwill, a product of the Chelsea academy, may be that player. The 20-year-old has been on loan at the south coast club this season and has pleased the Italian so much that he is willing to part ways with Caicedo in exchange for Colwill.
De Zerbi acknowledged that he’d prefer to have both players on his team in an ideal scenario.
The manager from Italy remarked, “There are two questions. not just about Caicedo but also about Colwill, and perhaps [a swap] might be made.
“I’d like to play with Caicedo and Colwill together, but right now I can only talk about Caicedo since Colwill isn’t one of my players,” the athlete said.
The English center-back has played 17 times for the Seagulls and, like Caicedo, has been a key member of the club. Towards the conclusion of the season, he particularly saw a lot of action.
According to Mail Sport, Pochettino’s team recently made the center-back an offer for a new deal, and the two parties were scheduled to meet last week.
