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Arsenal have made a second bid for Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo worth £70m including add-ons.
Brighton’s stance, though, remains unchanged and the midfielder is not for sale.
The Gunners had their initial £60m offer for Caicedo rejected by Brighton, which prompted the Colombia international to plead with Brighton to let him leave and join the Premier League leaders in a statement on social media.
Caicedo, who said to Brighton’s official website that he was focused solely on his current club, was told to stay away from training with the Seagulls until after Tuesday’s transfer deadline following his Instagram post.
Leandro Trossard has already swapped Brighton for Arsenal in the current window in a deal worth £27m.
De Zerbi: Brighton ready to go forward without Caicedo
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Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi insists that Moises Caicedo is a ‘very good guy’, but says it was a ‘mistake’ for the midfielder to publically state his desire to leave the club.
Brighton head coach Roberto De Zerbi wants Caicedo to stay at Brighton until the end of the season but says the club are “ready to go forward without him”.
“When you are 21 and you receive the request of a big team that is playing in European competition, I can understand,”
“Caicedo is a very good guy and I can understand him,” said De Zerbi after Sunday’s last-gasp FA Cup fourth-round win over Liverpool.
“When you are 21 and you receive the request of a big team, they are playing in European competition, I can understand.”
Asked if he was surprised by Caicedo’s social media post, De Zerbi added: Yes, yes I was. I’m not sure if it was him if you know what I mean…”
Pressed on if he thought Caicedo had been influenced by others, De Zerbi said: “Yes, I think so.”
What did Caicedo’s Instagram post say?
Caicedo’s Instagram post read: “I am grateful to Mr Bloom and Brighton for giving me the chance to come to the Premier League and I feel I have always done my best for them. I always play football with a smile and with heart.
“I am the youngest of 10 siblings from a poor upbringing in Santa Domingo in Ecuador. My dream always to be the most decorated player in the history of Ecuador.
“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.”
Caicedo said on Brighton’s official website earlier this week that he was focused solely on his current club.
Trossard has already swapped Brighton for Arsenal in the current window in a deal worth a £27m, but Brighton are determined to keep hold of Caicedo.
Follow the January transfer window with Sky Sports
Who will be on the move this winter? The January transfer window closes at 11pm on Tuesday January 31, 2023.
Keep up-to-date with all the latest transfer news and rumours in our dedicated Transfer Centre blog on Sky Sports’ digital platforms. You can also catch up with the ins, outs and analysis on Sky Sports News.
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