Arsenal and Chelsea have been handed a huge twist in the race to sign Brighton star Moises Caicedo in the upcoming summer transfer window. The Ecuadorian international looks set to leave the Seagulls in the next few weeks, with manager Roberto De Zerbi confirming that possibility at the end of the season.
"For sure we will lose some players, maybe [Moises] Caicedo and [Alexis] Mac Allister," the Italian coach told Sky Sports. "We have to be ready to bring in more good players and for the others; [Kaoru] Mitoma, [Pervis] Estupinan, I think for them the best solution is to stay with us."
The latter of the two mentioned as exits has already been confirmed as Liverpool have announced the signing of Alexis Mac Allister, with reports claiming the deal was worth in the region of £35million. With that move completed, the next player that could then follow is Caicedo.
football.london understands that Chelsea are confident of agreeing a deal with Brighton to sign the 21-year-old this summer as efforts step up over a move. It comes after the Blues missed out on priority target Manuel Ugarte, who is set to join PSG from Sporting CP instead.
They aren't alone in their interest as reports claim that London rivals Arsenal are also in the race, while Manchester United are also looking to add to their midfield ranks. The Gunners aren't currently prioritising a deal for Caicedo though as football.london understands that their top priority this summer is Declan Rice - with West Ham confirming that the midfielder looks to have played his last game for the club.
READ MORE: Arsenal news and transfers LIVE: Declan Rice goodbye, Lionel Messi move, Caicedo deal
According to Fabrizio Romano though, the pursuit of Caicedo may have taken a twist in the previous few days. The reporter claims that Chelsea are currently leading the race to sign the Brighton star ahead of Arsenal and Manchester United, though it is still open at this stage.
The valuation is set between £70million and £80million for a move, with the youngster signing a new deal earlier this year. Adding to this, Romano claims that Caicedo hasn't agreed personal terms with any club, which conflicts with reports elsewhere that the Gunners had secured that deal.
There's still some way to go in the race to sign the midfielder though, so it remains to be seen how the saga plays out.
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