28 July 2023 , 22:50
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Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi admits he already knows who he wants to replace Moises Caicedo if he does leave for Chelsea.
The Seagulls have rejected a mammoth bid for the Ecuadorian, who has become a leading light for the club after they qualified for Europe for the first time last season. That has seen Caicedo's stock rise and the Blues now want to prise him away from the Amex.
Brighton, who have already opted to let Alexis Mac Allister leave for Liverpool this summer, are wise to the fact they may have to eventually sell-up, especially if there's a huge profit on the cards. As a result their Italian manager has identified a potential signing should his midfielder leave.
He told Sky Sports : "If you ask me what I would like I would prefer he stays with us, but that's not my work. My work is to tell my owner if Caicedo leaves, we need another important midfielder." De Zerbi then claimed he did have someone in mind when quizzed on a replacement.
The Brighton boss had no issues with the player's efforts in pre-season as he waits to see if the club will be forced into another decision. "He is a serious guy, a serious player, he is working well and we are waiting for the next situation which can change things," said De Zerbi.
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Caicedo has already shown an appetite for the exit door at the Amex after talking publicly about a switch to Arsenal in January. The Gunners were keen and submitted a bid, which would've been a record sale, something the Ecuador international said he was "proud of".
Chelsea are pursuing a deal for Moises Caicedo (Getty Images)Brighton though resisted any advances and the player later signed a new deal on the south coast, which in affect allows the Seagulls to maximise his price. Chelsea have seen the likes of N'Golo Kante and Mateo Kovacic leave the club, which has increased their need to recruit.
Mauricio Pochettino is only weeks into the job but has financial resources at his disposal as he looks to bolster a team that finished in the bottom half last term. He said on potential arrivals: "At the moment, nothing to say about the players we have here. We are working very hard to try to add more players in different areas and hope that is possible soon.
"It depends on the situation of different players. 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."