Moises Caicedo ready to force move after £60m Arsenal bid

Moises Caicedo is ready to force through a move this month after Brighton rejected Arsenal’s formal £60m offer, according to the Daily Mail.

Mikel Arteta has admitted he needs reinforcements in the middle of the park as Mohamed Elneny is facing a spell on the sidelines. The Egyptian international’s absence leaves Arsenal short of midfield options with only Sambi Albert Lokonga to support Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka.

An injury to one of their star midfield duo would have a devastating impact on Arsenal’s hopes of winning the Premier League title this season. So, Arteta is looking to bring in reinforcements before the window closes on Tuesday night.

The Gunners have been linked with a number of players in recent weeks but Caicedo has emerged as a serious target and it appears the North Londoners have now formalised their interest in the South American.

The Daily Mail are one of several media outlets claiming that Arsenal have submitted a £60m bid for Caicedo. The offer is believed to be a fixed price with no add-ons or bonuses included.

Brighton have knocked back the approach, just days after rejecting Chelsea’s £55m verbal offer. However, the Daily Mail says Arsenal are set to return with an improved offer and Caicedo is ‘desperate’ to secure a move this month.

Transfer request

The newspaper says the 21-year-old is prepared to force through a move and could submit a transfer request to ensure he gets his ‘dream’ switch to London. Caicedo is believed to be open to joining either Arsenal or Chelsea, but it’s the Gunners who appear to be pushing hardest to get a deal done.

Brighton insist they want to keep hold of the Ecuadorian international but they may have to soften that stance if the player hands in a transfer request. The Daily Mail suggests an offer of around £80m may tempt the South Coast club into a deal.

Arsenal successfully negotiated a deal with Brighton to buy Leandro Trossard last week and it appears they are hoping to do business with them again to seal a move for Caicedo before the window closes.

They’ll also be desperate to get revenge on Chelsea by winning the race to sign the midfielder. Chelsea hijacked Arsenal’s move for Mykhailo Mudryk earlier this month so Arteta will want to get one over their London rivals this time.

We’ll have to wait and see how things develop over the coming days but Caicedo would be a superb signing if Arsenal could get a deal done. He has developed into one of the best midfielders in the Premier League since joining Brighton from Independiente del Valle in 2021.