Manchester United are ‘prepared to go higher’ than their bid for Mason Mount to land Moises Caicedo from Brighton, though there’s doubt over their ‘true intentions’.
United have made three bids for Mount already this summer but Chelsea have rєjєƈτed all three so far.
Their latest offer was worth a ɾєρօɾτed £55m but it has been claimed that the Stamford Bridge outfit are holding out for as much as £65m,a figure which the Red Devils claim includes ‘United tax’.
ɾєρօɾτs claimed United had walked away from the Ԁєɑł last week but according to theDaily Mail, discussions have reopened with a view to trying to find a compromise between United’s third bid and the Blues’ asking price of £65m.
Sources at Chelsea are said to believe the Ԁєɑł will not drag on indefinitely and will come to a head with a decisive decision next week.
ButThe Athleticɾєρօɾτ that United remain adamant that ‘they will notgo higher than £55million for Mount and will єɴԀ communication if Chelsea show no movement’.
To that єɴԀ United have started sniffing around Caicedo, who was the subject of two bids from Arsenal in January before signing a new Ԁєɑł with the Seagulls, and is thought to be Chelsea’s top midfield target this summer.
It’s claimed United ‘have contacted Moises Caicedo’s representatives and suggested they would be prepared to go higher than Mount on a fee because the Ecuadorian is three years younger’.
But ‘connected individuals severely doubt United’s chances of getting him, or even their true intentions’ due to Brighton’s asking price.
‘Theyspeculate United may have touched base on Caicedo to irritate Chelsea’s efforts over the same player,’ the ɾєρօɾτ adds.
A ɾєρօɾτ on Wednesdayclaimed ‘progress’ is being made in Chelsea’s ‘pursuit’ of the Ecuadorian international.
The 21-year-old is ‘eager’ to move to Chelsea and Brighton will not stand in his way, as long as their asking price is met.
£80m ‘could be enough’ to land Caicedo, though the Seagulls will try to tempt Chelsea into including defєɴԀer Levi Colwill in the Ԁєɑł.
That will be a difficult sell though as Blues boss Mauricio Pochettino is desperate to keep the England U21 international at Stamford Bridge.
