Arsenal's surprise offer of £60million for Moises Caicedo has been rejected by Brighton, who remain adamant that the Ecuadorian international is not for sale this month.
The midfielder has been the subject of interest from a number of Premier League giants since arriving at the Amex just under two years ago. For much of the current window, it has been Chelsea that were the rumoured leaders in the race for his signature, but the Gunners offered £5million more than their London rivals; though that still wasn't enough.
The Athletic report how the Seagulls hierachy swiftly rejected the bid from Arsenal, who are desperate to bolster their midfield options before the window closes next week. Fears that Mohamed Elneny's injury will see him ruled out for the rest of the season have only increased the Gunners' efforts to sign a midfielder this month.
Despite the offer being rejected, interest from Arsenal still lingers and a second, improved bid has not been ruled out before Tuesday's deadline.
With that being said, Brighton are notoriously good when it comes to getting their way in the transfer market and there is little to no chance the accept any offer that falls below the rumoured £75m price-tag they slapped on Caicedo.
Getting Caicedo within the next four days could prove difficult considering his recent comments suggested he was perfectly happy at the Amex and fully focused on the task at hand.
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Discussing the relentless rumours surrounding his club future, Caicedo told the Brighton website: "I am focused on Brighton, I am here, I’m playing every day. Things from outside don’t trouble me, nor does it take that focus away because I’m focused only on here.
"I handle [the speculation] well. You hear rumours here and there, but I only try to be focused on the club where I am now, the club which opened the doors for me to be playing every week.
"We are getting better all the time. There’s an evolution with every match – we all understand each other better.
"The coach is giving us that confidence to always do things well on the pitch."
It is unclear what Arsenal's pursuit of Caicedo means for their rumoured interest in luring Declan Rice to the Emirates next summer.
The Gunners were reported to have made the England international their priority transfer target in the summer and are willing to fork out the £80m fee that West Ham are holding out for.
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