BREAKING: Moises Caicedo breaks silence on future amid Chelsea negotiations

Moises Caicedo has broken his silence on his future as Chelsea continue to try and sign the Ecuadorian international from Brighton.

The 21-year-old midfielder, who can also play as a full-back, was heavily courted by Arsenal in January and he openly admitted his desire to join the Gunners in a statement.

However, Brighton did not allow the player to leave and rejected bids of £60 million and £70 million for Caicedo.

He ended up staying put and signed a new long-term contract until 2027 before helping Roberto De Zerbi's side secure European football with an impressive sixth placed finish.

Arsenal have turned their attentions to Declan Rice and look set to confirm the £105 million capture of the West Ham captain imminently.

However, Chelsea are still keen on Caicedo, who has publicly expressed his interest in joining.

In an interview with Ecuadorian TV channel 'The Court with Majo', he said: “It’s a big team, that’s true. A very historic team and I can’t say no because it’s a very big, historic, beautiful team. The city as well is beautiful”.

Chelsea are negotiating with Brighton, who no doubt want to get a substantial fee for the former Independiente del Valle man.

The Blues did business with the Seagulls last summer when they splashed out for Marc Cucurella, before paying a record £22 million in compensation to acquire manager Graham Potter.

Their head of recruitment Paul Winstanley previously worked for Brighton, which bodes well for getting a deal.

But despite Caicedo's willingness to join, the two parties are still far apart when it comes to a transfer fee, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.

Speaking to Caught Offside as part of his Daily Briefing, Romano said: “The idea for Chelsea is to close this for around £70 million plus add-ons, or maybe £80 million, this has to be the package for Moises Caicedo. Brighton want more than this, so Brighton feel that can rise to something around maybe £90 million or £100 million,”