Arsenal’s interest in Moises Caicedo won’t stop them trying to sign Declan Rice as well this summer.
Mikel Arteta’s side formalised their interest in the Brighton midfielder on Friday, recording an offer understood to be around £60million, while Chelsea have submitted a bid of £55million. A deal for the Ecuadorian won’t be easy however and the Seagulls won’t consider letting Moises Caicedo go this month unless they can get in a replacement.
And, even then, there are no guarantees for his suitors at Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool that the £90million-rated star will be allowed to leave. The Ecuadorian, who took to social media on Friday to speak of his desire to leave, was told yesterday to take time off until the transfer window closes to get his head right.
But he faces a nervy few days while his fate is determined around him. Caicedo wrote: “I am grateful to Brighton for giving me the chance to come to the Premier League and I feel I have always done my best.
“I always play football with a smile and with heart. 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.
“I am the youngest of 10 siblings from a poor upbringing in Santa Domingo in Ecuador. My dream was always to be the most decorated player in the history of Ecuador. 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 this magnificent opportunity.”
Chelsea made the first move for Caicedo with a £60m bid, while Arsenal’s offer is understood to be around £70m.
Their pursuit of the midfielder has come shortly after reports that the Gunners are prioritising a summer move for West Ham skipper Rice. The England international has made more than 200 appearances for the Hammers, but will be the subject of interest at the end of the season.
Mirror Football understands that even if Caicedo is signed, the Gunners won’t halt plans to sign Rice. But like the Brighton star, there will be a scramble for his signature with Chelsea and Manchester United also monitoring the situation.
West Ham boss David Moyes had previously declared his talisman was worth more than £100million, but it’s now believed he could be available for closer to £60million.
Gabriel Martinelli, meanwhile, will put pen to paper on a contract extension at Arsenal later this week, with a deal in place until 2027 and the option of a further year.
While the injury Thomas Partey suffered in the defeat by Manchester City on Friday is not thought to be serious. Partey was replaced by Albery Sambi Lokonga after going off at half time with a rib injury.
“Yeah he felt something and we didn’t want to take any risks so he could not continue,” Arteta said. “He had some discomfort and it was getting worse and worse.
"He could not continue and he was not comfortable to continue. No initial diagnosis. Tomorrow, or the day after, it will have to be an MRI scan and we’ll see what he has.”
