Arsenal have already shown Chelsea how to complete Moises Caicedo transfer

Chelsea's pursuit of Moises Caicedo continues as the Blues look to negotiate a deal with Brighton for the in-demand Ecuadorian midfielder before the transfer window closes

Chelsea's long-time pursuit of Moises Caicedo is still ongoing as we approach the end of July, but there continues to be a big confidence from the Blues that they will strike a deal eventually.

football.london understands Chelsea recently had an offer, believed to be in the region of £70million, turned down by Brighton – who continue to brief they want £100million for the Ecuadorian midfielder after seeing Declan Rice move to Arsenal for around that fee. However, there is a genuine belief at Chelsea that £80million should be enough to land Caicedo.

Despite the second offer being turned down, Chelsea remain seriously interested in Caicedo; their number one midfield target this summer. The Blues are expected to go back in for a third time with a new and improved bid for the Ecuador international.

Mauricio Pochettino, when speaking to the press earlier in the week, revealed the club are working "really hard" on bringing new players to Stamford Bridge. Pochettino said: "We are still working in the process of building, finishing the squad, we are working really hard.

"We have a very young squad also, but the players are showing their commitment and are working so well. We are so happy in the way they are working. But of course, we need to work in this pre-season to build a really strong squad first and then evolve the way we want to play."

It wasn't too long ago that Arsenal were the front-runners to sign Caicedo from Brighton. The Gunners saw two offers for the 21-year-old turned down in the January transfer window earlier in the year and the midfielder ended up signing a new contract at the Amex Stadium.

Arsenal's second bid was believed to be around £70million – the same amount Chelsea have just seen rejected. The Gunners then left the Caicedo pursuit with not too much time left in the January window and the summer saw them move onto Rice instead.

Chelsea cannot allow something similar to happen. There is no Rice to move onto. Chelsea need to get their man and they know exactly how to do that – offer an extra £10million.

The quicker Pochettino gets his man in and around the squad, the better for all parties - perhaps with the exception of Brighton. These weeks in the United States could prove absolutely crucial for the upcoming season, with Pochettino teaching his new squad what he expects both on and off the pitch.

Chelsea's senior officials, including Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley, are expected to meet up with those at Brighton in the coming days to talk about Caicedo, with all parties present in America at the moment. Chelsea will continue their attempts to negotiate a deal they see as fair for the Ecuadorian while Brighton will be trying to get every possible penny out of the west Londoners, who they face on Sunday.

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