Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi has admitted he already has a replacement lined up for Chelsea target Moises Caicedo, but says he would rather keep the Ecuador midfielder.
The Seagulls have reportedly rejected a bid of around £80 million for Caicedo and are said to value the 21-year-old at over £100m.
And De Zerbi, who admitted at the end of last season that the Ecuadorean was likely to leave along with Alexis Mac Allister, has not given up hope that the youngster will stay at the Amex.
"If you ask me what I would like? I would like to keep and for him to stay with us but it is not my work," he told reporters. "My work is to tell my owner if Caicedo leaves we need another big and important midfielder."
Asked if he had a replacement in mind, De Zerbi said: "Yes, but I don't want to tell. I follow the words of my owner and my owner did not tell me anything about Caicedo in the last hour."
After he was strongly linked with a move to Arsenal in January, Caicedo signed a new contract in March which runs until 2027.
"For a young player, it is difficult to stay with the possibility of changing teams, to change cities and everything," De Zerbi said. "But he is a serious player and is working in a good way. We are waiting to see if the situation changes or not," he added.
More Chelsea transfer news
Chelsea have had a €25 million bid for Montpellier striker Elye Wahi rejected, but more talks are expected to take place with the Ligue 1 outfit.
The Blues are also reportedly close to signing midfielder Michael Olise from Crystal Palace.
And the west London outfit have been linked with a sensational move for Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe.
