Arsenal are both shocked and surprised that their second, improved £70m for Moises Caicedo has been met with the same fate as the first one; rejected by Brighton. The Gunners have been taken aback by Brighton’s reluctance to give into such an enticing offer for a player who only joined them in the summer of 2021 for a mere £4.3m from Ecuadorian side Independiente.
Mikel Arteta’s young Gunners are in an unexpected title race this season as they sit atop of the Premier League with a five-point gap over defending champions Manchester City. However, the only threat to their title charge is the thin squad depth they are playing with. As a result, Arteta has called in for some solid reinforcements in the position which needs them direly, the midfield.
Arsenal have only little time to think about returning with a third bid for Moises Caicedo
Arsenal are in a tight situation after Brighton rejected their second bid for Moises Caicedo in the range of £70m. It is being reported that the improved bid on the first one, which was a direct £60m payment, guarantees £65m as fixed fee plus £5m add-ons, taking the whole package to £70m. However, the Seagulls are not interested in it as they still insist on keeping the player until the end of the season.
It was being expected that after Caicedo put a public transfer request by releasing a statement through his social media urging the club to let him leave, a move to Arsenal will finally go through just before the deadline day of the transfer window. However, the statement had a negative impact which has Brighton fuming with the midfielder and even ordered him to keep away from group training until the window shuts.
As a result, Caicedo was also not involved in Brighton’s FA Cup win over Liverpool by his manager Roberto De Zerbi. The ex-Shakhtar boss was then bombarded with questions over the missing midfielder in his post match press conference, to which he replied that the club is “ready to go ahead without Caicedo”. Again, it was looked upon as a ray of hope for Arsenal to get the deal done, as they quickly sent in the second bid after De Zerbi’s comments.
Brighton have again rebuffed the improved £70m bid out of hand as latest reports now claim that the Gunners might need to table a club record fee in order to seal the deal. Brighton have slapped a £80m price tag on Moises Caicedo, which has left Arsenal with only a few hours to make a decision on whether to pay that amount. Moreover, Brighton, who are in contention for European football want a lump some of £80m without a breakdown including add-ons.
Arsenal are yet to make a decision on a third bid, but with two of their midfielders Thomas Partey and Mohamed Elneny out injured, they might as well fork out the money. Caicedo’s arrival would also aid Arsenal’s title push in the second half of the season. The 21-year-old would be the perfect addition in the middle of the park for Arsenal, which needs more depth and quality. The Ecuadorian is already accustomed to playing in England, and would make an immediate impact at the Emirates.