Football

Arsenal have massive bid rejected for Premier League sensation

Arsenal have massive bid rejected for Premier League sensation

Arsenal have had a £60m bid for Moises Caicedo rejected by Brighton. The central midfielder was signed by the Seagulls two years ago and has been a revelation in the middle of the park ever since. 

It is the second time this transfer window that Brighton have had a bid come in for the Ecuador international after Chelsea tabled an offer of £55m earlier in the month. With no pressure to sell, it would take something huge for the club to even consider letting the 21-year-old go. 

It is expected that Arsenal will continue to pursue Caicedo until transfer deadline day but they may need him to formally hand in a transfer window to force Brighton’s hand. Whether he is prepared to do that or not remains to be seen. 

Interestingly, though, Caicedo has recently switched agents which could suggest that he does have an eye on a move away from the club in the near future. Speaking about the rumours linking him with a move away from the Amex, Caicedo recently said:

“I am focused on Brighton. I am here, I’m playing every day. Things from outside don’t trouble me, nor does it take the focus away because I’m focused only on here. I handle speculation well, you hear rumours here and there but I only try to be focused on the club.”

moises caicedo

No need to sell 

Unlike other clubs in the Premier League, Brighton are in a very healthy financial position and do not need to sell Caideo to balance any books. This gives them a strong position in negotiations which could force Arsenal to look elsewhere. 

Recently, they have made hefty profits on a number of players including Yves Bissouma who left for Tottenham in the summer for £25m and Marc Cucurella who joined Chelsea for £60m. More recently, they sold Leandro Trossard to Arsenal for £21m. 

Aside from finances, Brighton are pursuing their own goals on the pitch. They have been flying all season, despite a managerial switch when Graham Potter left for Chelsea, and have an opportunity to push for European football in the second half of the season. Selling Caicedo, an integral part of their team, could damage these hopes significantly. 

Manager, Roberto de Zerbi, said in a press conference earlier today that he was confident the player would remain at Brighton He said:

“I spoke with him like a father, not like a coach. I hope he can stay with us until the end of the season because in my opinion, that’s the best solution for him and for us.”

Arsenal making moves

Arsenal are clearly keen to bring in extra bodies as the clock ticks towards Tuesday’s transfer deadline. With Trossard already signed from Brighton to add options to their forward line, it appears Mikel Arteta is now focused on bringing in a central midfielder. 

An injury to Mohamed Elneny in training has only further increased the need for a midfield signing with the Egyptian expected to be out for a lengthy period. If Arsenal can’t get Caicedo then expect them to still bring in a midfielder from elsewhere as they look to boost their title chances.


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