According to The Athletic, Brighton have rejected a £60m offer from Arsenal for Moises Caicedo.
The Ecuadorian has been a standout performer for the Seagulls this season and has attracted interest from a number of top clubs such as Liverpool and Chelsea – who had their own bid rejected earlier this month.
The Gunners are in need of a midfielder after an injury to Mohamed Elneny and had made their first move to sign Caicedo.
Brighton, who are currently sitting in 6th place in the Premier League, are understandably reluctant to let go of one of their key players as they look to push for European football.
They have already sold Leandro Trossard to Arsenal this month and will be keen to keep their team in tact as they push for a top-six finish.
Arsenal’s first bid may have been rebuffed. However, it’s not uncommon for clubs to reject opening offers for their star players, especially during the January transfer window when teams are often banking on the fact that the buying club will panic and spend beyond market value.
It remains to be seen if Arsenal will return with an improved offer for Caicedo, or if they will move on to other targets. With only a few days left in the transfer window, time is running out for the Gunners to make their decisions.
It’s no secret that Arsenal are in the market for a midfielder. They have Declan Rice marked down as their top summer target apparently, and while Caicedo would have been a great addition to their team, but Brighton’s reluctance to sell does make sense.
It will be interesting to see how this situation develops in the next few days. With the transfer window set to close on Tuesday, Arsenal will have to act fast and return with a second offer soon if they want to land the South American midfielder.
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