Mueez Ajao
– Brighton have rejected a second bid from Arsenal for Ecuador midfielder Moises Caicedo and told the Premier League leaders he is not for sale.
– The latest bid is thought to be in the region of £70m.
Understand Arsenal second bid for Moises Caicedo worth £70m fee with add ons included has been immediately rejected by Brighton tonight. 🚨🔵🇪🇨 #AFC #BHAFC
Should Arsenal make a new proposal in the next 48 hours, it’d be a potential record fee for the club. pic.twitter.com/6mXNfsKI64
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 29, 2023
– Arsenal and Chelsea both had offers for the 21-year-old turned down last week.
Also Read: Caicedo submits ‘desperate’ transfer request after Arsenal bid rejected
– Caicedo informed Brighton in an open letter that he wanted a move, with the club responding by telling him to take time off until after Tuesday’s transfer deadline.
– He missed Sunday’s 2-1 FA Cup win over Liverpool with manager Roberto de Zerbi saying he wants Caicedo to finish the season with the club.
– Brighton are sixth in the Premier League, five points behind fifth-placed Tottenham, but with two games in hand on Antonio Conte’s side.
– “[Brighton chairman] Tony Bloom knows very well my opinion. We lost [Leandro] Trossard and if we also lose Caicedo it’s a problem for us if we want to fight for Europe,” De Zerbi said on Sunday.
– “If we don’t lose Caicedo we are ready to fight.”
– The Seagulls, who sold Trossard to league leaders Arsenal for £21m plus add-ons earlier this month, have already turned down a £60m bid from the Gunners for Caicedo, and also reportedly rejected an earlier £55m offer by Chelsea.
– Before Sunday’s game, the Brighton boss said Caicedo had made a “mistake” in asking to leave the club.
– “For everyone there are many solutions. We will see the best solution for him and for us,” the Italian said.
🗣️ "Moisés is a good guy"
Roberto De Zerbi discusses Moisés Caicedo social media post and believes he was influenced by others 💬 pic.twitter.com/emuOzd7n78
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) January 29, 2023
– Caicedo has made 26 appearances for Brighton in the Premier League, scoring twice, and is under contract until 2025.
