Arsenal told Moises Caicedo NOT for sale after Brighton reject bid for midfield star

By Tom Hancock
published

Arsenal, who signed Leandro Trossard from Brighton last week, could yet come back with another offer for Caicedo

Arsenal-linked Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Moises Caicedo lines up ahead of the Premier League match between Manchester City and Brighton & Hove Albion on 22 October, 2022 at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, United Kingdom.
(Image credit: Visionhaus/Getty Images)

Arsenal (opens in new tab) have been rebuffed in their attempts to sign Moises Caicedo, with Brighton (opens in new tab) making it clear that the midfielder is not for sale.

The Gunners had a £60m bid for the Ecuador international rejected on Friday, and the Seagulls have since told Caicedo to 'stay away' until the end of the January transfer window.

Chelsea (opens in new tab) have also been linked with the 21-year-old, who joined Brighton from Ecuadorian outfit Independiente del Valle two years ago.

Moises Caicedo of Brighton & Hove Albion during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Brighton & Hove Albion on 21 August, 2022 at the London Stadium in London, United Kingdom

Caicedo has been one of Brighton's standout performers this season (Image credit: Craig Mercer/MB Media/Getty Images)

According to Sky Sports News' Dharmesh Sheth (opens in new tab), Brighton have requested that Caicedo doesn't return to training until after the window closes on Tuesday.

However, Arsenal might yet test the Seagulls' resolve, with the Evening Standard (opens in new tab) reporting that the Premier League leaders are weighing up whether to table an improved offer.

Caicedo could hardly have made it much clearer that his head has been turned by Arsenal's approach. In an Instagram post, he said (opens in new tab): "I am proud to be able to bring in a record transfer fee for Brighton which would allow them to reinvest it and help the club continue to be successful.

"The fans have taken me into their hearts and they will always be in my heart, so I hope they can understand why I want to take up this magnificent opportunity."

Moises Caicedo of Ecuador celebrates after scoring for his country during the FIFA World Cup 2022 match between Ecuador and Senegal on 29 November, 2022 at the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha, Qatar.

Caicedo made his Ecuador debut at the age of 18 (Image credit: Ayman Aref/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Caicedo has made 30 appearances for Brighton – the vast majority of which have come this term, after he spent the first half of last season on loan with Beerschot uin Belgium.

He's won 28 caps for Ecuador, starting all three of their games at the 2022 World Cup – where he scored against Senegal.

More Arsenal stories

Arsenal have been linked with a move for Everton midfielder Amadou Ounana (opens in new tab) – having reportedly monitored him before he joined the Toffees last summer.

The Gunners intend to conduct their transfer business in secret (opens in new tab) going forward, though, having missed out on Mykahilo Mudryk to Chelsea earlier in the January transfer window.

Elsewhere, Cesc Fabregas has lauded Arsene Wenger (opens in new tab) for the way he coached him at the club.

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Tom Hancock

Tom Hancock started freelancing for FourFourTwo in April 2019 and has also written for The Analyst and When Saturday Comes, 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...