Arsenal are ready battle it out with Chelsea over a deal for Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Moises Caicedo in the summer, according to the Evening Standard.
Both Premier League clubs have been busy bringing in new players this month for the second half of the season. Arsenal have signed two new players while the Blues have splashed over £200m bringing in six new additions.
Chelsea are still hugely active in the market and are desperately trying to bring in a new midfielder before the end of the month. Caicedo has been touted as a prime target but they’ve so far failed to agree terms with Brighton.
Graham Potter sees the Ecuadorian international as a prefect replacement for either Jorginho or N’Golo Kante, who are expected to leave the club at the end of the season.
The Blues had a £55m bid turned down last week by Brighton and are expected to make new offer closer to £65m as they look to tempt the South Coast club into a sale this month.
However, Brighton are adamant the South American won’t be sold unless their £75m valuation is met and Caicedo recently suggested that he will remain at the Amex Stadium until the end of the season before deciding on his future.
Chelsea’s move for Benfica midfielder Enzo Fernández fell through earlier this month but they have reportedly renewed their attempts to sign the Argentinean international.
Competition
This could indicate that Chelsea have accepted they won’t be signing Caicedo this month so a summer move is more likely. However, it appears the West Londoners will face stiff competition as the Evening Standard says Arsenal have now joined the race.
Mikel Arteta is in the market for a new holding midfielder this summer and while West Ham’s Declan Rice is his prime target, the newspaper says Arsenal have also short-listed Caicedo as a potential new recruit.
So Arsenal and Chelsea could be set to lock-horns once again and the Gunners will want payback after the Blues hijacked their deal for Ukrainian attacker Mykhailo Mudryk earlier this month.
Caicedo has become a favourite at Brighton since joining them from Independiente del Valle in 2021, featuring in 31 games and making five goal contributions.
He was part of the Ecuador team that participated at the 2022 World Cup, playing every minute for his senior national team as they were knocked out at the group stage.
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