Chelsea target Moises Caicedo missed training for Brighton on Monday amid suggestions that the in-demand midfielder is frustrated over his club's reluctance to sell him.
Caicedo, 21, has been vying for a move throughout the summer transfer window but Brighton are said to be demanding as much as £105million for him - the same amount that Arsenal paid West Ham to sign Declan Rice last month. Brighton's lofty asking price has prompted Chelsea to search for cheaper midfield solutions, with September 1's deadline day edging closer.
The Blues have had a series of transfer bids rejected for Ecuador international Caicedo but now appear to have found a handy alternative, Leeds star Tyler Adams. The United States captain reportedly has a £20million release clause in his contract, having been relegated with the Yorkshire side last season.
Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino wants to bring in midfield reinforcements ahead of the new Premier League campaign, which for the Blues begins at home to Liverpool on Sunday. For Brighton, they kick off against newly-promoted Luton and it's unclear whether or not Caicedo will be involved.
BBC Sport claim that following the 21-year-old's absence from training on Monday, sources are unsure if he'll be present for Tuesday's session. It's not that first time that Caicedo has gotten desperate in his attempts to secure a move away, having handed in a transfer request and gone public with his desire to leave in January.
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His plan failed, though, and soon enough the Ecuadorian signed a new four-and-a-half-year contract and declared his commitment to continuing his meteoric rise with Brighton, who signed him from I ndependiente del Valle in 2021 for a mere £4.5m. Still, Caicedo fancies a no-doubt lucrative switch to Stamford Bridge.
Tyler Adams has been tipped to join Chelsea (George Wood/Getty Images)Have your say! Would Tyler Adams be a good signing for Chelsea? Join the debate in the comments section.
"It's a big team, that's true," he recently told La Cancha Con Majo. A very historic team and I can't say no because it is a very big, historic, beautiful team. The city as well is beautiful."
Adams, 24, is set have the same proposition, with multiple outlets reporting that he's been the subject of talks between Chelsea and Leeds. Although the American dynamo still has four more years left on his current deal, having joined from RB Leipzig last summer, he's on the market as Leeds seek to rebuild their squad while back down in the Championship.
Ruled out until later this month with a long-term injury, Adams may not feature again at Elland Road should his club agree a sale. The 24-year-old would help remedy Chelsea's issue of lacking experienced centre midfielders, having offloaded Mateo Kovacic to Manchester City in July and sold Jorginho to Arsenal eight months ago.
As for Caicedo, an exit from Brighton isn't proving as straightforward. "We need to wait and see what happens with Caicedo, then we know what we need to do," Seagulls boss Roberto de Zerbi explained while on the club's pre-season tour.
"I've not spoken with him yet, but of course I'd like him to stay. If he does leave, we need to buy another great player with the same characteristics and qualities."
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