Arsenal have been linked with a move for the Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder and Chelsea target Moises Caicedo.
According to a report from Daily Mail, Arsenal have submitted an improved offer of around £70 million for Moises Caicedo after having a £60 million offer turned down for him.
However, Brighton & Hove Albion are thought to be holding out for a few of around £80 million for the 21-year-old midfielder. It will be interesting to see if the two clubs can come to an agreement before the January transfer transfer window closes.
Caicedo is one of the most talented young midfielders in the Premier League, and he could be a superb long-term acquisition for Arsenal. He has been linked with Chelsea as well. But the Blues have not been able to agree on a deal with the Seagulls yet.
With Jorginho and N’Golo Kante expected to leave in the summer, Chelsea could certainly use someone like him. Meanwhile, Mikel Arteta needs to add more quality and depth in his midfield unit. And the 21-year-old would be a superb long-term investment.
Caicedo seems like the ideal partner for Thomas Partey at the base of Arsenal’s midfield. And his arrival will allow the likes of Martin Odegaard and Granit Xhaka to operate with more freedom. But Arsenal have already had one bid rejected for the in-demand midfielder.
The 21-year-old is already well-settled in the Premier League, and he could make an immediate impact at the north London club. And Caicedo is pushing to join Arsenal after publicly asserting his desire to leave Brighton.
Arsenal are currently leading the Premier League title race. And a signing like Caicedo this month could help them sustain the title push and win the trophy at the end of the season. The Gunners have already signed Leandro Trossard from Brighton earlier this month. And it remains to be seen whether they can convince the Seagulls to sell another key player to them before the January window closes.
Although the asking price seems quite steep for a player who is largely unproven outside of the Premier League, Caicedo has the potential to justify the outlay in the long run. But Arsenal would have hoped for the £70 million bid to work. They were offering £60 million as a base fee and £10 million in add-ons to bring the total package to £70 million.
It is not wise to hold on to an unhappy player. So it is fair to assume that Brighton could give in to Caicedo’s demands eventually and sanction his sale towards the end of the window. Meanwhile, Daily Mail have also claimed that Arsenal will move for Declan Rice at the end of the season.
