Brighton CEO Paul Barber has given Arsenal and Chelsea a lifeline in the race to sign Moises Caicedo. The 21-year-old was heavily linked with an exit from the Amex Stadium in January and, desperate to secure a move, he issued an eye-opening statement on social media.
However, despite Caicedo's best efforts, a departure failed to materialise with the Seagulls adamant that the midfielder wasn't going to leave. The Gunners submitted two bids for the Ecuador international but both were rejected, football.london understands.
It was said that the Blues were also eyeing a move for Caicedo in the event that they were unable to prise Enzo Fernandez from Benfica. However, Todd Boehly proved successful in his mission to sign the Argentina international and speculation of a move to Stamford Bridge fizzled out.
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Earlier this month, Caicedo penned a new long-term contract with Brighton which keeps him at the club until 2027. At first, it seemed as if the Ecuadorian's deal would rule out the prospect of a future move, but Barber's latest comments suggest otherwise.
Speaking to The Beautiful Game Podcast, the Seagulls' CEO claimed the midfielder will 'get his chance' after he was denied a move in January. Barber said: "For us in January selling Moises was not a good move.
"He was one of our best players at the beginning of the season, and we were in a great position in the league, still in the FA Cup and there was a lot of football to play We want to try and achieve our best-ever finish in the Premier League and if we do that there is a chance that we could qualify for European competitions.
"The stakes for us in the second half of the season and Moises was a big part of that," he added. "He is also a young player, who is still learning his game. He is far away from the country that he was born in and therefore we have a responsibility to do the best for the player long-term as well as in the short-term for us.
"We felt that was best served by keeping Moises with us, trying to do the best we can for the rest of this season and what will be in the future will be. Moises is a top-class player and such a lovely and he has the potential to be anything that he wants to be, so this won’t be the only transfer window where Moises is a popular attraction for other clubs.
"We are really happy that he has settled back down, and his chance will come in the future to become whatever he wants to be and we are all very confident that will happen for him."
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