Arsenal have reportedly made a second approach for Moises Caicedo, despite Brighton's insistence that the midfielder is not for sale.
The Gunners saw their opening £60m bid rejected on Friday – but Caicedo's head appears to have been turned, and Brighton have told him to stay away from training until after the January transfer window closes on Tuesday.
That news came as Caicedo posted on Instagram that he hoped to "take up this magnificent opportunity" – presumably referring to the possibility of joining Arsenal.
The only Premier League game Caicedo has missed this season was last month's defeat to Arsenal (Image credit: Visionhaus/Getty Images)
According to MailOnline, the Gunners have tabled another £60m bid for the 21-year-old Ecuador international – but this time with a further £10m in add-ons.
However, the report adds that Brighton – who turned down a £55m offer from Chelsea earlier in the window – are likely to reject that too, valuing Caicedo at £80m.
Caicedo joined Brighton from Ecuadorian outfit Independiente del Valle in February 2021 and, after a loan spell with Beerschot in Belgium, has come to establish himself as one of the Seagulls' standout stars this season.
However, his enforced absence from training means that he will miss Sunday's FA Cup fourth round tie at home to Liverpool – who he helped Brighton beat 3-0 in the league just a couple of weeks ago.
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Caicedo has won 28 caps for Ecuador and scored at the 2022 World Cup (Image credit: Ayman Aref/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Should Arsenal manage to wear down Brighton's resistance between now and deadline day, Caicedo could become the second player to make the switch from the Seagulls to the Gunners this month – following Leandro Trossard, who completed a £27m move to the Emirates Stadium last week.
Trossard is one of two January arrivals so far for the Premier League leaders, who also signed Poland centre-back Jakub Kiwior from Spezia on Monday.
Tom Hancock started freelancing for FourFourTwo in April 2019 and has also written for the Premier League and Opta Analyst, among others. He supports Wycombe Wanderers and has a soft spot for Wealdstone. A self-confessed statto, he has been known to watch football with a spreadsheet (or several) open...
