Chelsea are unlikely to meet Brighton and Hove Albion’s ‘valuation’ of Moises Caicedo before the end of the month, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: £100m price tag set

The Premier League playmaker’s contract at The Amex isn’t set to expire until 2025, but with his impressive performances this season having generated interest, the Seagulls are willing to listen to substantial offers.

Todd Boehly tabled an opening £55m bid for the 21-year-old but that was swiftly rejected, with the south coast outfit having since placed a £100m price tag on his head in the hope of putting Graham Potter’s side off a deal.

The Ecuadorian also expressed his desire to remain at Brighton in a public interview with the club’s official website on Tuesday stating that he’s focusing on the remainder of the season, seemingly ending transfer speculation.

The Latest: Jones’ verdict

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jones suggested that Chelsea will return to negotiations with a higher proposal in the final week of the window, but insisted that supporters shouldn’t expect anything out of the ordinary to happen.

“There’s a possibility that they will go in with an increased offer for Caicedo this week.

“The problem is that, from what I’m hearing, I still don’t think it’s going to get to a level whereby it meets Brighton’s valuation.

“I think expectations should be a little bit limited here from a Chelsea fan’s point of view.”

The Verdict: Wait until summer

Caicedo has been dubbed a ‘Machine-Man’ by talent scout Jacek Kulig, but Chelsea should wait to pursue a permanent deal for him until the summer.

The Seagulls star is naturally a defensive midfielder but also has the versatility to operate in the centre, where he's currently averaging 2.9 tackles and 1.4 interceptions per top-flight game (WhoScored).

Boehly has already splashed plenty of cash this window on the likes of Mykhailo Mudryk so it would probably be the right decision not to go any more rogue and empty the pot in January.

N’Golo Kante and Jorginho are also both out of contract at the end of the campaign so midfield reinforcements will be needed in the summer, which presents the perfect opportunity to go all guns blazing for Caicedo.