Roberto De Zerbi makes Moises Caicedo transfer vow after Chelsea target misses friendly
- Caicedo missed Brighton's final friendly against Rayo Vallecano
- A minor injury was given as the reason for his absence
- Chelsea remain keen on striking a deal
By Tom Gott
Roberto De Zerbi admits he's unsure what the future holds for midfielder Moises Caicedo but says Brighton will sign "another important player" if he leaves.
Chelsea have seen several bids rejected by Brighton, the latest of which was worth £80m. The Seagulls want £100m to sell their star midfielder and recently made it clear to Caicedo why they are holding out for such a fee.
Amid the uncertainty, Caicedo was left out of Brighton's final friendly on Sunday - a decision which chief executive Paul Barber publicly claimed was down to injury.
"Moises had a slight hamstring injury late in training and was pulled out for that reason," Barber told Brighton media. "With a Premier League season just a week away it makes no sense to risk him today. We’re looking forward to Moises starting the season with us, he’s a Brighton player under a long-term contract."
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After the game, De Zerbi kept the focus on the transfer uncertainty surrounding Caicedo, confessing he did not know when he would see the Ecuador international again.
"I don’t know [if he'll be back in training tomorrow]," he said. "If Moises leaves, we will find another important player. And if Moises stays, I will be happy for us, for the team, for the club. But it’s not my problem now. If Moises leaves, we will bring another player in.
"We are Brighton, and under our policy there is the possibility to lose some players at the end of the season. It was the same for [Alexis] Mac Allister and [Levi] Colwill."
90min understands that Chelsea are expected to return with an increased offer for Caicedo, but have been searching for alternative targets amid concerns over the price tag.
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On this week's edition of Talking Transfers, part of the 90min podcast network, Toby Cudworth is joined by Graeme Bailey to discuss the next steps in Bayern Munich's Harry Kane hunt, Brighton rejecting another Chelsea bid for Moises Caicedo, who has had the most impressive transfer window so far & more!
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