Arsenal eye move to sign Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo

Arsenal are eyeing a move to sign Brighton star Moises Caicedo as Mikel Arteta looks to add a midfielder to his squad before the end of the month, according to the Sunday Mirror (14/8; page 76) via the Express.

Arteta has already enjoyed an excellent summer transfer window having snapped-up Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko from Manchester City, while Fabio Vieira, Marquinhos and Matt Turner have also arrived.

However, the Spanish coach is still in the market for at least one more addition to his squad and a new central midfielder is reportedly the priority for Arsenal during the closing stages of the window.

With the north Londoners back in Europe, Arsenal could do with another top class option in the middle of the park to compete with Thomas Partey, Granit Xhaka, Mohamed Elneny and Albert Sambi Lokonga.

Youri Tielemans has been strongly linked with a move to the Emirates Stadium but a deal is yet to be agreed with Leicester City and it appears Arsenal are now eyeing alternative targets.

According to the print version of the Sunday Mirror, as cited by the Express, Arsenal have joined the race to sign Brighton star Caicedo following his impressive start to the new season.

The 20-year-old was outstanding during Brighton’s opening weekend victory over Manchester United and it looks as though he’s caught the eye of the decision markers at Arsenal.

Competition

Caicedo joined Brighton in a £4.5m deal from Independiente del Valle in February 2021 and after spending time on loan, he forced his way into Graham Potters starting eleven during the second half of last season.

Brighton could now turn a quick profit with TeamTalk suggesting Caicedo would cost up to £30m this summer – although the south coast club are under no pressure to sell having already recouped £88m from the sales of Marc Cucurella and Yves Bissouma.

Their resolve could be tested by Arsenal over the coming weeks if the Gunners decide to formalise their interest, however, Arteta’s side may face stiff competition for Caicedo’s signature. As per the Sunday Mirror, Man Utd, West Ham, Atletico Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen and Juventus are also showing an interest in the midfielder.

We’ll have to wait for further developments but Caicedo would be an exciting signing for Arsenal if they were able to win the race. The Ecuadorian has forged a reputation as one of the best young defensive midfielders in the league and is known for his pace, power and technical ability.

It remains to be seen whether the youngster would be willing to risk his place in the Ecuador World Cup squad by changing clubs this summer, but he may find it difficult to turn down a move to the Emirates if Arsenal were to agree a fee with Brighton.