BRIGHTON boss Roberto De Zerbi has told Moises Caicedo: Unless Chelsea pay up, you’re going nowhere.
Mauricio Pochettino’s Blues have made Seagulls midfielder Caicedo, 21, their number one priority during this summer window.
A £70m bid from the West Londoners has already been rejected, with Brighton owner Tony Bloomvaluing the player at around £100m.
Italian coach De Zerbi is preparing for the worst-case scenario of Caicedo leaving, but is currently planning to begin their Premier League campaign against Luton on August 12 with the Ecuador international in the starting XI.
Caicedo will NOT be available for Brighton’s pre-season clash against Chelsea in the early hours of tomorrow morning in Philadelphia having joined up with his team-mates late.
Pochettino is keen to bring in Caicedo while out in the States.
Asked about Caicedo’s future, De Zerbi explained: “The situation is very clear. At the moment Moises is a Brighton player.
“I spoke with Tony and he told me if the conditions don’t change, Moises stays with us. For me it should be great news because it is difficult to find another player like Moises.
“If Moises leaves we have to find another player of the same level because we deserve to play the next season with the same level of midfielder.
“Moises is a great player, a big player, but he has to know he is playing for Brighton and give his best to Brighton, not anyone else.”
On whether he gave Caicedo – who had two bids from Arsenal rejected in January – a verbal promise to let him leave this summer, De Zerbi said: “It is not true. I didn’t give my word for nothing. We didn’t speak about the next transfer market window.
“We are Brighton and I can understand we have to sell any player at the end of the season like Alexis Mac Allister.
“But, at the moment, I have not received news that Caicedo can leave tomorrow or in the next week. I start the next season with Caicedo in my head in the first 11, for sure.”
Brighton remain interested in Chelsea defender Levi Colwill– who spent last campaign on loan at the Amex – and have had a £30m bid rejected.
De Zerbi has hinted that a swap deal between Caicedo and Colwill would be a “logical” situation, explaining: “There are two questions.
“Not only about Caicedo, also about Colwill, and maybe it can be [a swap].
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“I would like to play with Caicedo and Colwill together but at the moment I can only speak about Caicedo as Colwill is not one of my players.”
However, he later added: “In football, there aren’t too many logical things.”
Brighton are also close to confirming a £15m deal for Fiorentina defender Igor, but De Zerbi made clear that this signing would NOT stop them also bringing in Colwill.