Liverpool have agreed a British record transfer fee of £111m with Brighton for midfielder Moises Caicedo, APA reports citing BBC Sport.
However, Chelsea are now trying to secure a deal for the Ecuador international despite Brighton rejecting a succession of bids from the club earlier in the summer.
It is thought the 21-year-old's preference would be to move to Stamford Bridge.
It remains to be seen whether the Blues will now match Liverpool's bid.
Brighton had set a fee in excess of £100m for Caicedo and had said they felt no-one would reach it. Chelsea are believed to have bid £80m previously.
Seagulls boss Roberto de Zerbi gave his thoughts on the transfer saga before Brighton take on Luton Town in their opening Premier League game on Saturday at 15:00 BST.
"I have already forgotten about Moises," De Zerbi told a news conference. "I'm really proud of the players we have in the squad.
"We want to keep improving. The credit goes to the club. Bigger clubs can buy our players but they can't buy our soul or spirit.
"We are Brighton, we achieved a big target last year - the same as Liverpool, better than Chelsea. I would like players who are proud to play in Brighton."
Liverpool lost midfielders Jordan Henderson and Fabinho to the Saudi Pro League last month but signed Caicedo's Brighton team-mate Alexis Mac Allister in June for £35m.
Former Reds captain Henderson, 33, joined Al-Ettifaq in a deal worth £12m plus add-ons, while 29-year-old Brazilian Fabinho switched to Al-Ittihad for £40m.
Follow us on Telegram
t.me/apanewsaz
Follow us on Instagram
Follow us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
