Chelsea handed fresh blow in signing Moises Caicedo

Chelsea have been handed a fresh blow in the pursuit of Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Moises Caicedo this summer.

The Blues were interested in landing the Ecuadorian from Brighton in January, but the Seagulls refused to listen to offers.

However, their stance has changed this summer and the Blues are expected to make a formal bid for the 21-year-old very soon.

The club are in advanced negotiations over personal terms with the player, but face a hurdle over negotiating the asking price.

It was recently suggested that Brighton could sell him for £80 million, but the South Coast outfit are now looking for £100m up front.

The news will come as a blow for the Blues, who are working on a limited budget before player sales in the current window.

The club are planning to offload several players before June 30 to balance their books, but will need to pay plenty for Caicedo.

Brighton could lower the price if Chelsea are willing to include Levi Colwill as a makeweight to land the midfielder.