Arsenal could face fresh competition to sign Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Moises Caicedo during the summer transfer window, according to reports.
The London giants were eager to land the Ecuadorian star before Tuesday’s transfer deadline but Brighton were clear that the midfielder was not for sale.
Arsenal are likely to try again for the 21-year-old this summer and Teradeportes hint that they may have to ward off interest from two more clubs.
As per the outlet, Caicedo was not punished or fined by Brighton despite his transfer request. The midfielder will return to the club to train as usual and will be an integral part of their side during the second half of the season.
The same source mentions that Caicedo is aware that three confirmed teams will bid for him this summer and Brighton have no choice but to sell this time around.
Competition
Arsenal tried to persuade Brighton into parting ways with Caicedo but weren’t able to tempt them into a deal.
The London giants are expected to return for the South American at the end of the campaign but the scenario could be quite different by then with other clubs entering the race.
Teradeportes have not mentioned the other teams that are interested in signing the Ecuadorian but it is clear that Arsenal are one of them and Chelsea are the other.
Arsenal failed with two bids of £60 million and £70 million for Caicedo last month while Chelsea did not improve on their opening proposal of £55 million.
After the respective snubs, Arsenal ended up signing Jorginho from Chelsea and the Blues landed Enzo Fernandez in a British record deal, but the duo are likely to return for Caicedo at the end of the season.
Taking a guess, Liverpool could be the third club interested in landing Caicedo. The Merseyside giants are in dire need of a top-quality defensive midfielder.
Fabinho and Thiago Alcantara are no longer in the peak of their careers and the pair have shown signs of regression as the current season has gone by.
Liverpool are no strangers to spending big in the summer transfer windows. With the season they are having, manager Jurgen Klopp should be backed with big funds in the summer to rebuild his midfield.
Therefore, Arsenal are likely to face stiff competition when they try to broker a deal for Caicedo, who is priced at £80 million.
