As Brighton & Hove Albion gear up for the upcoming Premier League campaign, midfielder Moises Caicedo is no longer on their radar, according to manager Roberto de Zerbi, who spoke before their match against Luton Town on Saturday.

The 21-year-old Caicedo has been linked with a transfer away from the Amex Stadium after making an impression at Brighton.

He made 37 appearances for the club last season, when they finished sixth and earned their first-ever qualification to play in European competition.

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The Ecuadorian has drawn interest from a number of teams during the close season window, including Chelsea, but reports in British media on Friday claimed Liverpool had reached an agreement with Brighton for a transfer fee of 111 million pounds ($140.90 million).

“I have already forgotten about Moises. I’m really proud of the players we have in the squad,” De Zerbi told reporters on Friday.

“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 don’t have enough (players) yet, we need to complete the squad.

“I want players who want to come here. 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.”

In their opening league match of the year, Brighton welcome newly promoted Luton, and De Zerbi cautioned that it might be a difficult test for the south coast team.

Our spirit and drive are crucial, according to De Zerbi. “For them, today will go down in history. If we want to prevail, we must fight. We must perform like a top team.”