De Zerbi confident that Brighton can cope with Caicedo departure

Roberto De Zerbi is confident that Brighton can cope with the potential exit of Moises Caicedo and insists the side will sign ‘another important player’ should the midfielder depart.

Caicedo has been subject of two rejected bids from Chelsea and has made clear his desire to leave for Stamford Bridge. Chelsea are preparing a third offer for the Ecuador international, who Brighton value in the region of £100m.

The 21-year-old was left out of the Brighton squad for Sunday’s friendly draw with Rayo Vallecano, an absence that chief executive Paul Barber claimed to the club’s media team was injury-related.

De Zerbi was asked for his view on the ongoing speculation surrounding Caicedo and outlined his belief that Brighton will be able to cope with another big-name exit should a move materialise.

“I don’t know [if he’ll be back in training tomorrow],” he said.

“If Moises leaves, we will find another important player. And if Moises stays, I will be happy for us, for the team, for the club. But it’s not my problem now. If Moises leaves, we will bring another player in.

“We are Brighton, and under our policy there is the possibility to lose some players at the end of the season. It was the same for [Alexis] Mac Allister and [Levi] Colwill.”

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