Chelsea remain confident in their pursuit of Moises Caicedo despite Liverpool's interest and Brighton's deadline, believing they have a superior offer to the player and that they can trump the Anfield club on price.
The Blues are also seeking to offer the Seagulls players in exchange to break the deadlock in negotiations, with the south-coast club already accepting a larger offer from Liverpool, as confirmed by Jurgen Klopp,
The player himself has made it clear his preference is Stamford Bridge, and no terms have actually been agreed with the Anfield hierarchy. The situation is nevertheless complicated because Brighton set a deadline of Thursday evening for an auction.
Conor Gallagher is one who could be attractive to Brighton, although their recruitment is usually far more forward-thinking and considered than engaging in swap deals.
Liverpool trumped Chelsea by £10m, in what would have been a Premier League record deal of £110m. The London club are prepared to improve on this, but it remains to be seen whether Brighton would re-open the process.
The race has created another sub-plot to Sunday's meeting between the two teams at Stamford Bridge, as both clubs have gone for Caicedo and Southampton’s Romeo Lavia, in what almost appears a response to the other.
Chelsea had made Caicedo their top midfield target in an area that needs strengthening, which is one reason he is so enthused by the move.
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