Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo has been the subject of strong interest from a host of the Premier League‘s elite, and Arsenal have had a bid rejected believed to be worth around £60m.
The Ecuadorian has cemented himself as one of the league’s most promising midfielders since joining Brighton in the January window two years ago, and his impressive performances at the World Cup in December has only increased his stock.
At just 21, he has shown capability well beyond his years, and is just as comfortable in possession as he is without it. This has led to a queue of potential suitors enquiring about his future, with Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal all said to be keeping tabs on the situation.
The Blues reportedly had a £55m proposal rejected by Brighton last week, and the Seagulls are notoriously stubborn in negotiations.
However, Arsenal have decided to test their resolve with an opening bid of their own, worth £60m, which they hoped would be enough to bring Caicedo to North London. However, Brighton were quick to reject the offer, replying within half an hour of the official bid.
EXCLUSIVE: Arsenal have submitted £60m bid to sign Moises Caicedo as new midfielder 🚨⚪️🔴 #AFC
Chelsea had £55m verbal proposal rejected this January as Brighton hope to keep the player — but Arsenal are now pushing.
Negotiations enter into key stages for Caicedo’s future. pic.twitter.com/WZp3RKRdbx
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 27, 2023
Manager Mikel Arteta has made no secret of his desire to bolster his side’s midfield options, particularly with Mohamad Elneny picking up another injury recently, while Sambi Lokonga has failed to live up to the potential promised before his arrival.
Following questions over the injury to Elneny, the Spaniard said: “Well, we need some more cover in midfield ideally if we can.
“In this market it’s pretty complicated to do that. The most important thing is that we get the performances and the time on the pitch that we need with the players we have available today that are already really good.
“If there’s anything else available that can make us better, we’ll look at it.”
Sporting director Edu and Arteta have worked in unison to bring in some shrewd acquisitions in recent years, and Moises Caicedo certainly fits the mould of their youthful approach to transfers.
With the Gunners topping the table at the time of writing, may observers have been quick to point out their lack of depth in comparison to serial winners Manchester City, who follow closely in second. However, the confirmed January additions of Leondro Trossard and Jakub Kiwior have already highlighted the club’s intentions of solidifying their place at the summit, while a possible transfer for Caicedo would improve their midfield options considerably.
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