Robert Sanchez – 4

Booed on his every touch, the Spain international had his toughest game in a Chelsea shirt. Struggled badly with his playing out from the back.

Marc Cucurella – 5

Struggled out of position, out of form and while marking Kaoru Mitoma. He did, however, show good fighting spirit.

Axel Disasi – 6

One of the better performers but struggled to progress the ball up the pitch against an accomplished Brighton press.

Levi Colwill – 6

Similarly struggled to pass against such quality but defended well.

Ben Chilwell – 6

Making his first competitive start for Pochettino in his favoured left-back position, Chilwell put in an energetic but unremarkable performance.

Lesley Ugochukwu – 5

Lucky to escape a red card for a heavy studs-up tackle on Carlos Baleba and even more remarkable considering he was already booked.

Moises Caicedo – 6

Also booed on his every touch but regained the ball well without being good in possession.

Ian Maatsen – 6

An accomplished performance where he helped his fellow out-of-position defender Cucurella defensively on the right-hand side.

Cole Palmer – 8

An exceptional first start for the £40million signing from Manchester City. His assist for Jackson’s goal was a work of art after some wonderful creative play in midfield.

Mykhailo Mudryk – 7

The 22-year-old was an outlet by winning free-kicks constantly through his dribbling. Had a good early shot on goal and almost won a penalty.

Nicolas Jackson – 8

Started with a real purpose to change the narrative after a difficult start to his time at Chelsea. Ultimately rewarded for his efforts after taking a chance that was put on a plate by Palmer.

Substitutes
Enzo Fernandez – 6

Battled to help his team over the line from the bench.

Conor Gallagher – 6

Played on the right wing, helping his team maintain a lead under pressure.

Raheem Sterling – 5

Barely touched the ball after coming on in a thankless task to maintain a lead from the bench.

Armando Broja – N/A

Photo Credit: ChelseaFC/ X

Tags: Brighton, Chelsea

Brighton have pulled off a major coup to sign Ansu Fati from Barcelona.

The winger is set to sign for Brighton after a personal intervention from Rooberto De Zerbi.

He had appeared to be Spurs-bound after rejecting Sevilla to sign for the Lilywhites.

But a late bid from Brighton has seen them pull ahead in the race and he should have a medical today.

Tottenham had been in pole position to sign the Barcelona winger on loan having stolen a march on Sevilla earlier today.

Fabrizio Romano reports that Roberto De Zerbi’s personal intervention was key to sealing the deal.

The deal has the green light, and Fati should be a Brighton player tomorrow.

Tags: Ansu Fati, Brighton, Tottenham

Reports in England claim Liverpool are on the trail of Brighton’s target Lille midfieder Carlos Baleba.

The Anfield side need to sign a first-class defensive midfielder after missing out on Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia to Chelsea.

According to the Daily Mail, the 19-year-old has been tracked by Brighton and the south coast club are in discussions over a £15m move for the midfielder as a replacement for Moises Caicedo.

However, according to TEAMtalk, Liverpool have leapt into contention to sign the Lille’s rising star this month, looking to bypass Brighton & Hove Albion’s pursuit, with the Seagulls currently seeking to replace Caicedo with the Cameroonian talent, who is valued at €30m (£26m) by his French side.

Indeed, Fabrizio Romano even went as far as to describe the talent as the “perfect” replacement for Liverpool’s former target.

And he has certainly been making waves in Ligue 1, with his performances leaving journalist Graeme Bailey waxing lyrical and calling him a “future star”, with the teenager breaking into the Lille first-team last term and displaying his passing composure by completing 84% of his passes across 19 outings in Ligue 1.

Liverpool, AC Milan, Juventus, Monaco and Newcastle United are all keen to sign the teenager, with the Reds looking to land him after missing out on Caicedo and Romeo Lavia.

Photo Credit: x twitter

Tags: Brighton, Carlos Baleba, Liverpool

Chelsea have confirmed the signing of Moises Caicedo in a £115million deal from Brighton on an eight-year contract.

The Seagulls had been keen to keep hold of their man and rejected several bids from the Blues, before accepting Liverpool’s £110m offer late on Thursday.

However, the Ecaudor has been set on a move to Stamford Bridge and Chelsea came back in with a huge offer of £115m which was accepted, and he has now put pen to paper.

“I am so happy to join Chelsea! I am so excited to be here at this big club and I didn’t have to think twice when Chelsea called me, I just knew I wanted to sign for the club,” Caicedo said.

“It’s a dream come true to be here and I can’t wait to get started with the team.”

Tags: Brighton, Chelsea, Moises Caicedo

Chelsea are on the verge of completing a British record £115million swoop for Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo.

Following weeks of discussions and failed bids, the Blues have agreed a fee for the Ecuador midfielder that will see Brighton earn a minimum £100m plus a further £15m in add-ons.

It is hoped that the 21-year-old can undergo a medical in the next 48 hours before signing a long-term contract with the Stamford Bridge side.

Caicedo appeared to be close to joining Liverpool last week after the Reds saw a £111m bid accepted by Brighton.

But Chelsea chiefs have made major progress over the previous 48 hours and and agreement had been struck with Brighton owner Tony Bloom. Former Brighton recruitment specialist Paul Winstanley now at Chelsea, is said to have been at the forefront of the deal.

Around half of the £15m add-ons are said to be easily achievable, while the remainder are believed to be significantly harder to meet.

With that in mind Chelsea believe they will end up paying a similar fee that they forked out for Enzo Fernandez, who joined from Benfica in January for £107m – the current British record.

It represents excellent business for Brighton, who bought Caicedo for a bargain £4.5m from Independiente del Valle in 2021.

Chelsea are also offering around £55m for Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia, who has also been the subject of three failed bids from Liverpool.

The Blues had been linked with a move for Caicedo throughout the summer, though there were fears on Friday that Liverpool would hijack a move for the Brighton star.

Liverpool agreed a £111m fee with Brighton, leaving Chelsea needing to up their offer for the Ecuadorian international.

Chelsea though never gave up on their priority target and appear to have won the race for his signature after agreeing a £115m move.

Tags: Brighton, Chelsea, Moises Caicedo

Brighton CEO Paul Barber has insisted the club will “understand” Moises Caicedo’s position on his future at the club amid transfer talks with Chelsea.

The Blues have seen three bids for Ecuador international Caicedo rejected, with the latest £80million proposal falling short of Brighton’s £100m price tag on the 21-year-old.

Reports say Brighton are marginally disappointed with the way Moisés Caicedo’s representatives have handled the last few days.

They, however, will not rule out a sale, but only if the fee meets their valuation.

The player missed training on Monday in a bid to force through his exit having been denied a move to Arsenal in January.

Seagulls chief Barber is adamant that the club will be “realistic” in dealing with Chelsea’s interest but expects him to feature for his club in the new season nonetheless.

He told Sky Sports: “For a young player like Moises at 21, he’s probably one of the best midfield players in the world already at his age, and we’ve had a fantastic time working with him.

“And we want it to continue, we’ve got him under a long contract.

“We’re also realistic to know there is interest in him. As a young man, that interest is inevitably going to have an impact on your thought process and unsettle you a little bit. We understand that.

“But for now, he’s a Brighton player, he’s under contract. We expect him to work hard, prepare for the new season and we’ll see what happens as the window goes on.”

Caicedo sat out the weekend friendly against Rayo Vallecano due to a minor hamstring injury and Barber refused to confirm whether or not he would be in the squad for Saturday’s Premier League kick-off against Luton.

He added: “The window’s got a long way to go, we’d love to keep him. He’s a really important player, we’ll see where we are.”

Caicedo reportedly spotted with his agent in London on Monday night.

Tags: Brighton, Chelsea, Moises Caicedo

Chelsea may have been given a huge boost in their attempts to sign Moises Caicedo with the midfielder left out of Brighton’s final friendly against Rayo Vallecano. The Blues have had four bids rejected for Caicedo with Brighton holding out for £100million.

Mauricio Pochettino has already stated on numerous occasions that he wants new midfield recruits with the club letting go of Mateo Kovacic, Mason Mount, N’Golo Kante and Ruben Loftus-Cheek this summer.

Caicedo has stayed quiet on the transfer saga so far while Roberto De Zerbi has admitted there is a possibility the midfielder will leave.

The transfer saga has now taken a new twist as Caicedo has been left out of Brighton’s matchday squad for their final pre-season game.

But Caicedo will play no part in the match with Sky Sports claiming he’s been ‘given the weekend off to focus on the Premier League opener’. The report suggests that Caicedo’s absence has nothing to do with Chelsea’s interest in the midfielder.

Brighton are said to be confident that their £100million asking price won’t be matched this summer. Chelsea’s last offer was reportedly worth a whopping £80m with £75m paid up front.

Brighton boss De Zerbi appears relaxed about Caicedo’s situation after talks with the club’s owner Tony Bloom. He said last month: “I spoke with Tony Bloom 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 great player. If Moises leaves, we have to find another player of the same level.”

Tags: Brighton, Chelsea, Moises Caicedo

Chelsea fans are fuming at reports that the club have agreed a deal to sign Robert Sanchez from Brighton.

The Spanish goalkeeper had been Brighton’s established number one but fell down the pecking order after Roberto De Zerbi favoured Jason Steele for his ability to pass out from the back.

The Daily Mail reports that Sanchez has already agreed personal terms with the Blues as the club look to bring in competition for Kepa Arrizabalaga.

Chelsea are understood to be keen on a move for Sanchez due to goalkeeper coach Ben Roberts being a fan of the stopper.

The two worked together at Brighton before Roberts was poached alongside Graham Potter’s coaching staff when Potter joined Chelsea last September.

The respect between Sanchez and Roberts is mutual with the Spaniard crediting Roberts for his “mental fortitude”.

Were Chelsea to sign Sanchez, he would count as homegrown due to being at Brighton’s academy since the age of 15.

But it appears that Chelsea fans on Twitter are deeply unimpressed with the idea of signing Sanchez.

One said: “Kepa looks like prime Neuer compared to him.”

Another wrote: “Kepa will always come on top again, they wanted to replace him with Mendy and that didn’t work. Sanchez can try but he is not beating our Kepa.”

A third wrote: “There’s a reason Sanchez was dropped for 32-year-old Steele.”

And a fourth added: “I didn’t think we’d sign someone worse than Kepa.”

Tags: Brighton, Chelsea, Robert Sanchez

Chelsea fans have added their voices to their club’s effort to sign Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo, asking the Seagulls to accept the west London club’s latest offer of £80m for the Ecuadorian.

Chelsea made Caicedo their top target once last season concluded and have now seen three bids for his services rejected, despite the player being keen to make the move to Chelsea.

Brighton believe that the 21-year-old is worth £100m, though the Blues are not willing to meet such a valuation. With uncertainty surrounding the transfer now, The Times report that the player and his camp will take matters into their own hands.

The midfielder is said to be keen to join Chelsea and will therefore, with the help of his entourage, attempt to ‘persuade’ Brighton to reduce their asking price so that a transfer can be facilitated. Caicedo is reportedly ‘growing frustrated’ by the situation but would like to handle the matter ‘sensitively’, having failed to force his way out of the club in January.

Now, the Blues fans have joined the efforts to put pressure on Brighton by taking their campaigns to social media a hashtag #FreeCaicedo trending on Twitter to drive home their point.

One of them stated: “Free Caicedo Brighton…..Free the poor boy he has a lot of family to cater for …Allow him to go..”

Another one advised Caicedo: “He needs to send in a transfer request, or don’t train with the squad just to force Brighton hands”

Spread the word. #FreeCaicedo. pic.twitter.com/KrNzf7s86r

— CFC-Blues (@CFCBlues_com) July 27, 2023

#FreeCaicedo pic.twitter.com/wkxftshtoY

— LDN (@LDNFootbalI) July 29, 2023

I speak for all @chelsea fans when I say : @ChelseaFC will #FreeCaicedo and never do business with @OfficialBHAFC again. pic.twitter.com/DPV52Ze5Gw

— 👑 O.L.U.W.A.T.O.B.I. 👑 (@kingcodedlee) July 25, 2023

It's now or never! #FreeCaicedo pic.twitter.com/02F2WDAL2K

— 𝗔 𝗪 𝗪 𝗔 𝗟 🇳🇬 (@CFCAwwaL) July 25, 2023

Dear @MoisesCaicedo55,

Hand in the transfer request, they’re stopping you from reaching your true potential. #FreeCaicedo pic.twitter.com/Gk9Tvsi0tB

— 𝐕𝐀𝐑 ☘️ (@Ziyechman) July 29, 2023

#FreeCaicedo #freecaicedo#FreeCaicedo

— John Nelson (@Nelsonnero36) July 28, 2023

Dear @MoisesCaicedo55,

Hand in the transfer request, they’re stopping you from reaching your true potential

Your promise hasn’t been fulfilled, they’ve betrayed you & your trust

You can dominate football alongside Enzo & actually win things — do the right thing#FreeCaicedo pic.twitter.com/Gw7dDpnIQZ

— Vᴅʏᴋ (@VdykCFC) July 24, 2023

He needs to send in a transfer request, or don't train with the squad just to force Brighton hands

— Williams ⚡💙 (@CFC_williams10) July 28, 2023

#FreeCaicedo Get it trending pic.twitter.com/FS35dBAWaB

— MaMo (@mamo_chelsea) July 24, 2023

Free Caicedo Brighton…..Free the poor boy he has a lot of family to cater for …Allow him to go..

— Isaac Acquaye-Hopeson (@TheEraofHope) July 27, 2023

Brighton should pls Free Caicedo na #FreeCaicedo pic.twitter.com/mJiUHwuAEk

— wᴇᴀʟᴛʜ_𝕏 (@Wealth__X) July 24, 2023

#FreeCaicedo he wants to leave, he's sending a message to @OfficialBHAFC pic.twitter.com/4cI1zdvuHs

— Ecstasy Media (@Ecstasy_262) July 25, 2023

#FreeCaicedo #FreeCaicedo #FreeCaicedo #FreeCaicedo #FreeCaicedo #FreeCaicedo pic.twitter.com/OPahtDZPzH

— THE CHELSEA FORUM (@TheChelseaForum) July 28, 2023

Shameless club

— tyga (@afctyga) July 24, 2023

@MoisesCaicedo55 push for the transfer request mate 😭🙏🫂💙

— Rich_lazborn001❤️🦅🫶 (@Rich_lazborn001) July 24, 2023

Tags: Brighton, Chelsea, Moises Caicedo

Brighton and Hove Albion captain Lewis Dunk has offered his verdict on Moises Caicedo’s potential switch to Chelsea as the Seagulls chairman and owner Tony Bloom is playing hardball with the west London club.

Chelsea want to push ahead with more business from Brighton – and tabled an £80m bid for Moises Caicedo.

The Seagulls have rejected this, believing that their star is worth closer to £100m, following Declan Rice’s £105m move from West Ham to Arsenal.

Negotiations between Chelsea and Brighton continue, but it is thought that the clubs are not close to agreeing a deal that satisfies both parties.

Now, in an interview with Sky Sports, Dunk said: “It’s not the first time it’s happened and it’s not the last but for a player that’s in the squad. It’s a difficult place to be in for him but we’re all there for him.

“Obviously, we don’t want him to go. What a player, he probably makes my life easier playing in front of me so yeah, hopefully he can stay and we can keep him happy. We’re all there for him and whenever he needs to speak we’re around.

“He’s getting on with training and working and he played [vs Brentford] and I’m sure you play again [against Newcastle]. So yeah, he’s getting fit for the season hopefully with us.”

Tags: Brighton, Chelsea, Moises Caicedo