Brighton or Chelsea – who blinks first in Caicedo transfer saga?
The Moises Caicedo transfer saga has officially reached a Mexican standoff with neither Brighton nor Chelsea willing to budge from their positions. If the Ecuador international is to leave the Amex this summer, it will come down to who blinks first.
Having seen Arsenal pay £105 million for Declan Rice this summer and Chelsea themselves fork out £106.8 million for Enzo Fernandez just six months ago, Brighton want a deal worth £100 million for Caicedo.
The Blues might be able to strike an agreement for less than that but only on one condition – if Levi Colwill moves in the other direction as part of the transfer, becoming a permanent Seagull following his successful loan spell at the Amex last season.
Chelsea are not willing to pay Brighton £100 million for Caicedo. Mauricio Pochettino does not want to see Colwill leave Stamford Bridge, the new Blues boss saying recently: “I think he can be one of the greatest centre-backs in England. He is going to be part of our team.”
The Albion are under no pressure to sell Caicedo or drop their asking price. Tony Bloom turned down £70 million from Arsenal in January, since when his value has increased via even better performances to help Brighton qualify for the Europa League.
Caicedo also signed a new contract with the Albion in March which runs through to 2027, further strengthening Brighton’s negotiating position.
What next then? A lot of Chelsea fans are still expecting Bloom to eventually concede, based on the fact that the Blues have lots of money and trophies. It is apparently an insult that Brighton do not want to facilitate a move for Caicedo to Stamford Bridge.
Some even seem to think that Chelsea should refuse to ever deal with Brighton again, as if such a threat would scare Bloom into selling.
How ever could the Albion cope if Todd Boehly says he won’t buy from them in future? It would be a terrible, terrible shame if Brighton found themselves not being harassed and unsettled because one of the European Super League Elite Six wants something but they do not want to pay the market rate for it.
Despite the vast majority of Chelsea fans coming across as overentitled and acting like spoilt kids at Christmas not getting the expensive toy they wanted, there are some Blues supporters who realise where things go from here.
Namely, Chelsea pay £100 million (or include Colwill in the deal) and they get a player with world class potential who will run their midfield for the next decade.
Or Boehly stops wasting time with lowball offers and moves onto another target whom Pochettino can rebuild his team around.
The Blues might think their money, power and trophy cabinet can bully Bloom into a sale. But history shows that Brighton rarely come out on the wrong side of such standoffs.
Chelsea should probably remember this from their own experience. Manchester City spent a good six weeks of last summer trying to coerce the Albion into selling Marc Cucurella for £30 million.
Bloom said no, no and no again. Eventually, Brighton pocketed £62 million for the curly haired left back from… Chelsea.
The Leeds United were shocked when the Albion had the nerve to turn down £25 million for Ben White in the summer of 2020. Did Bloom not realise he was dealing with the 1996 Coca Cola Cup runners up?
Having been adamant White would make a permanent switch to Elland Road, deluded Leeds fans predicted imminent relegation for Brighton after which White would return to a Peacocks side playing in the Champions League.
Instead, White moved to Arsenal a year later for £50 million. Brighton are now playing Europa League football and Leeds are *checks notes* in the Championship rather than the Champions League.
Those Chelsea fans pinning their hopes on Caicedo forcing through a move are likely to be disappointed too.
From Dale Stephens wanting to join Burnley in 2016 to Elliott Bennett handing in a transfer request in an attempt to sign for Norwich City in January 2011, Bloom does not blink in the face of player power either.
Caicedo himself knows that. His agent posted an ill-advised Instagram statement on Caicedo’s Instagram page asking for a sale to Arsenal to be sanctioned in January.
Bloom said no. Gunners supporters predicted Caicedo downing tools and rocking the boat, costing Brighton in their challenge for Europe whilst Arsenal went onto win the title. Remind us again how that one worked out?
Even Brighton captain Lewis Dunk tried to take on Bloom. Dunk refused to play for the Albion in a League Cup tie away at Southend United in 2015 as he desparately wanted to join Fulham for £5 million.
Dunk was fined two weeks wages and lost his place in Chris Hughton’s starting XI whilst Bloom rejected the Cottagers. Eight years on and Dunk is eyeing up becoming just the second ever Brighton player to make 500 appearances for the club.
For Bloom to blink now and concede a lesser deal with Chelsea would be extremely out of character. It is one of the reasons why the Albion are hailed as a model club, whereas Chelsea under Boehly have become a shambolic laughing stock with far more money than sense.
And if Chelsea want Caicedo, then it looks like they will have to spend a lot of that more. Bloom and Brighton will surely not fold from here. The ball is firmly in Chelsea’s court.
