Arsenal are preparing a major second bid in order to secure the signing of a Premier League midfielder before the transfer window slams shut next week.
The Gunners have been rocked by the news of a long-term injury for Mohammed Elneny and they will need to dip into the market to ensure their midfield has sufficient depth to help in the title race.
On Friday afternoon, it was revealed that Arsenal had a £60million offer rejected for Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo.
Arsenal are expected to return with an improved offer, but Brighton are adamant they do not want to sell. The player looks to be open to a move and recently changed his agent. Whether player power is enough to force a mid-season move remains to be seen.
£60million was rejected without a second thought, so a second bid from Arsenal will likely need to be in excess of £70million to even make Brighton pause for thought.
The Gunners have a good working relationship with Brighton having signed Ben White and more recently Leandro Trossard from the south coast club.
Brighton’s magnificent scouting has hit the mark again. They picked up Caicedo for just £5million from Ecuador back in 2021 and have today turned down £60million.
Although he is only 21, Caicedo already has 28 caps for his country Ecuador. This highlights how good he is for a man of his age. This would be a signing that’s for the now and the future.
Chelsea are also interested in Caicedo, themselves having a slightly lower £55million offer rejected earlier this month. Any suggestion that Brighton are open to negotiation is likely to re-ignite Chelsea’s interest.
Unlike Arsenal, Chelsea could likely offer Caicedo immediate first team football and the chance to reunite with former boss Graham Potter.