Chelsea have been handed a huge blow in their mission to sign Brighton star Moises Caicedo as Real Madrid look to find a replacement for Luka Modric. The 21-year-old was heavily linked with an exit from the Amex Stadium in the summer as he continues to impress on the south coast.
According to Spanish outlet Fichajes, as quoted by the Daily Mail, Los Blancos president Florentino Perez has identified the midfielder as a candidate to fill the 37-year-old's shoes. Modric, who sees his contract at the Santiago Bernabeu expire in the summer, faces an increasingly uncertain future at Real Madrid as he enters the final stages of his career.
The report states that the Spanish giants are impressed by Caicedo's versatility in midfield. It's said that Jude Bellingham, Florian Wirtz, Enzo Fernández and Bruno Guimaraes are also on Carlo Ancelotti's shortlist.
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Brighton are believed to have labelled the Ecuadorian with a £68million asking price. Graham Potter will be hoping that the Seagull's valuation in enough to deter Real Madrid as Chelsea plot a move of their own.
The Blues are believed to be interested in the midfielder amid the uncertain futures of N'Golo Kante and Jorginho, who see their respective deals expire at the end of the season. And, luckily for the west Londoners, Caicedo has admitted that he would like to reunite with Potter at Stamford Bridge one day.
Speaking to Ole, as quoted by the Evening Standard, the Brighton star said: "It made me very sad now that he left for Chelsea because he helped me a lot and I wanted to continue having him as a manager, but that’s football.
"Right now I’m very focused on Brighton and the World Cup. I want to have a great World Cup and then we’ll see what happens.
"I think they are one of the best teams in the world and nobody would turn down an offer from Chelsea or any other club like that, he added. "It’d be a dream to be in the best teams in the world and succeed there."
Potter handed Caicedo his breakthrough in Europe, joining Brighton from Ecuadorian side Independiente for just £4.5million in February 2021. The midfielder featured 16 times for the Chelsea boss, directly contributing towards four goals.
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