Arsenal have had their new £70m offer for midfielder Moises Caicedo turned down by Brighton.
Brighton’s stance remains unchanged and the midfielder is not for sale in January, with the window closed on Tuesday at 11pm. Sky Sports News have been told his position will not change.
Had the Seagulls accepted Arsenal’s latest offer for the 21-year-old, it would have been a record transfer for the club, surpassing Marc Cucurella’s £60m sale to Chelsea in the summer.
The Gunners also had their initial offer of £60m for Caicedo turned down, prompting the Colombia international to plead with Brighton to let him go and join the Premier League leaders in a statement on social media.
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The Soccer Saturday team gives its opinion on the possible transfer of Moisés Caicedo to Arsenal and analyzes his best moments in the Brighton shirt.
Caicedo, who told Brighton’s official website he was focused solely on his current club last week, was told to stay out of training with the Seagulls until after Tuesday’s transfer deadline following his post in Instagram.
Leandro Trossard has already swapped Brighton for Arsenal in the current window in a deal worth £27m.
De Zerbi: Brighton ready to move on without Caicedo
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Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi insists Moises Caicedo is a “very good guy” but says it was a “mistake” for the midfielder to publicly state his desire to leave the club.
Brighton head coach Roberto De Zerbi wants Caicedo to stay at Brighton until the end of the season, but says the club is “ready to move on without him”.
“Caicedo is a very good guy and I can understand him,” De Zerbi said after Sunday’s last-gasp FA Cup fourth round victory over Liverpool.
“When you’re 21 and you get the request from a big team, they’re playing in European competition, I can understand that.”
Asked if he was surprised by Caicedo’s social media post, De Zerbi added: Yes, yes, I was. I’m not sure if it was him if you know what I mean…”
Pressed on whether he thought Caicedo had been influenced by others, De Zerbi said: “Yes, I think so.”
What did Caicedo’s Instagram post say?
Caicedo’s Instagram post read: “I’m grateful to Mr. Bloom and Brighton for giving me the chance to come to the Premier League and I feel like I’ve always done my best for them. I always play football with a smile and with the heart”.
“I am the youngest of 10 siblings from a poor upbringing in Santo Domingo in Ecuador. My dream is always to be the most decorated player in the history of Ecuador.
“I am proud to be able to generate a record transfer fee for Brighton which would allow them to reinvest it and help the club continue to succeed.
“The fans have taken me into their hearts and will always be in my heart, so I hope you can understand why I want to take advantage of this wonderful opportunity.”
Caicedo told Brighton’s official website earlier this week that he was solely focused on his current club.
Trossard has already swapped Brighton for Arsenal in the current window in a deal worth £27m, but Brighton are determined to keep Caicedo.
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Who will be on the move this winter? The January transfer window closes at 23:00 in Tuesday January 31, 2023.
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