Chelsea have beaten Liverpool to the signing of Moises Caicedo – but they are still on the hunt for another transfer target of their Premier League rival.
The Blues have “reached an agreement” with Brighton over the transfer of Caicedo in a deal worth £115 million, according to The Athletic.
The Ecuadorean is set to sign an eight-year contract after completing his medical on Monday. The transfer includes a sell-on clause for Brighton.
Liverpool entered the race last week after Chelsea had seen several bids for the player rejected. Brighton accepted a £110m bid from the Reds, but Caicedo was only interested in moving to Stamford Bridge.
The west London club are not finished scuppering Liverpool’s transfer plans, though. According to Football London, a deal for Southampton’s Romeo Lavia is “close to completion”.
It’s reported that Chelsea have offered £52m up front with a further £3m in add-ons. Liverpool have been trying to sign the 19-year-old this summer, but the Saints have rebuffed their overtures until now.
Southampton manager Russell Martin revealed at the weekend that a conclusion to the transfer is getting closer. “It’s eeking slowly towards a conclusion and I think we have been preparing for life without him for the six weeks we’ve been here so it’s not a massive drama,” he told the Southern Daily Echo.
Chelsea’s bid for Lavia comes after they pulled out of a deal for Leeds United midfielder Tyler Adams. The club were reportedly put off when it was discovered during a medical that his current injury will take longer to heal than previously anticipated.
The transfer rumours don’t end there for Mauricio Pochettino’s side, with the club also linked with moves for Crystal Palace’s Michael Olise and Ajax winger Mohammed Kudus.
Liverpool, meanwhile, will be required to go back to the drawing board if they miss out on Lavia.
