'Hard work done' - Brighton close in on Southern American midfielder as Moises Caicedo replacement
Brighton are set to be close to securing a move for midfielder Fabricio Díaz.
The Uruguayan playmaker has caught the interest of the Seagulls, with the player himself revealing to VTV Uruguay that talks were in a ‘very advanced stage’.
Díaz has played for Liverpool Fútbol Club in his native country since 2016. The 20-year-old made his debut for the Primera División side in 2020 and has since gone on to make 121 appearances for the club.
The 20-year-old also captained the Uruguayan side that won the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Argentina.
No official bid has yet been made by Brighton, but a fee of at least £10m is likely to be expected from Liverpool Montevideo.
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Albion boss Roberto De Zerbi revealed the club were looking to sign a midfielder before September 1, having sold Moises Caicedo to Chelsea for a British transfer record fee of £115m.
Speaking before Brighton’s 4-1 win over Wolves, the Italian said: “We have studied many midfielders and I don’t know what the situation is now.”
Brighton are said to have a list of potential replacements for the Ecuadorian midfielder, including Lille teenager Carlos Baleba and RB Salzburg’s Lucas Gourna-Douath.
Baleba is said to be the Sussex side’s number one target, but their initial bid of £14.5m plus £2.5m in add-ons was rejected, as the French club want at least £25m for the Cameroonian.
Gourna-Douath is also being monitored by Brighton, but is a much lower priority amongst several other unknown targets.