‘Dance’ – Todd Boehly negotiator pokes fun at Brighton after recent blockbuster transfers

In the past two seasons, Brighton have sold midfielder Moises Caicedo, defender Marc Cucrella and goalkeeper Rob Sanchez to the Blues for a combined total of £203m – give or take a few pence.

Chelsea also paid the Seagulls around £20m to lure their former boss Graham Potter to join them but then sacked him after just six months as Potter struggled to manage a bloated squad and a scatter-gun approach to the transfer market.

From the outside, it has all seemed a bit of a mad house at Stamford Bridge of late and a total contrast to the calm and efficient way Tony Bloom, the chairman and owner at Brighton, runs his club.

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The Seagulls finished above Chelsea last season in the Premier League and qualified for the Europa League for the first time in their history.

Their progress under head coach Roberto De Zerbi has continued this season as they sit top of the fledgling Premier League table after two matches thanks to 4-1 victories against Luton Town and Wolves. Chelsea, under their new boss Mauricio Pochettino, have one point from their first two matches and last Saturday lost 3-1 to West Ham – a match that saw Caicedo make his debut for Chelsea and give away penalty.

Chelsea clearly have plenty of money but so far that has yet to convert to performances and results on the pitch.

The recent transfer saga with Caicedo seemed to sum up the different approaches from the two clubs. Chelsea started the bidding at around £70m but Brighton held firm in their £100m valuation. Liverpool joined the race and agreed a fee of £111m with the Seagulls, which forced Chelsea to return with £100m, plus £15m in achievable add-ons and a sell clause for Brighton.

The Blues always seemed sure of signing Caicedo but ended up paying more than they wanted to for the 21-year-old. This week The Athletic quoted an anonymous source close to Chelsea owner Todd Boehly saying: “We know what will happen; we just play the usual dance with Brighton and then we get the player.”

If true, it seems quite a cocky comment from a club still struggling to find their way in the transfer market and establish an identity. It was indeed a dance and a very expensive one at that – but one that Brighton owner Bloom will consider great value.