Chelsea's summer move for Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo could now collapse, following a "key development" regarding the potential signing of him this summer.
How old is Moises Caicedo?
The 21-year-old has emerged as arguably the Blues' biggest transfer target of the summer window, as their midfield goes through something of a rebuild ahead of the new Premier League season.
N'Golo Kante and Mateo Kovacic have both left Stamford Bridge in recent times, while Jorginho joined Arsenal back in January, so new faces are needed to shine in the middle of the park alongside relatively new arrival Enzo Fernandez.
Caicedo enjoyed a fantastic season for Brighton, proving to be one of their most important players and excelling next to Alexis Mac Allister, who has already departed the Seagulls to join Liverpool earlier this summer. The Ecuadorian has seen his current club be extremely stubborn when it comes to accepting an offer from Chelsea, however, demanding huge money for his services, not helped by the amount Arsenal paid for Declan Rice, for example.
Now, a fresh update has emerged regarding the Blues' pursuit of the young midfielder – one that could cause plenty of concern among the fanbase.
What's the latest on Moises Caicedo to Chelsea?
According to Football Insider, and journalist Pete O'Rourke, Chelsea are "not currently in active talks" with Caicedo over a summer switch to Stamford Bridge, having seen a second bid for him turned down. The transfer is "now facing collapse", even though the player himself is "keen" on the move coming to fruition, in what is threatening to become a potentially ugly situation. The report has described it as a "key development".
Missing out on Caicedo now would be such a blow for Chelsea, considering how much they have tried to get him since the end of last season, and he remains a standout option who could help give their midfield such an injection of youth and quality. Graham Potter once said, "it doesn’t surprise me that people are looking at him because he is playing at a fantastic level", further outlining his class as a player.
Last season, the Ecuador international averaged 2.7 tackles per game in the Premier League, showing what a tenacious presence he is out of possession, but he is also a technically-strong footballer, completing 88.8% of his passes in the competition.
The hope is that there is still time for the situation to change, allowing Brighton to finally accept a bid that suits all parties, but it looks increasingly as though Chelsea could have to look elsewhere for a high-quality midfield addition, which is far from ideal with the beginning of the new season edging closer all the time.
The Blues begin their campaign with a home clash with Liverpool next month, which promises to be an exciting match, and they will be coming up against a Reds side who have already made big midfield changes this summer, bringing in both Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai.
If Chelsea don't ensure the same has happened by the time the two sides meet at Stamford Bridge, they could find themselves in a sticky situation in Mauricio Pochettino's first game in charge at the club.