Arsenal have been handed a huge blow in their mission to sign Brighton and Hove Albion starlet Moises Caicedo. The 20-year-old midfielder has been heavily linked with an exit from the Amex Stadium this summer following an impressive campaign on the south coast last season.
Caicedo, who sees his contract with the Seagulls expire in 2025, featured eight times for Graham Potter's side in the Premier League, directly contributing to two goals. Despite only appearing for Brighton in the latter stages of the season, he impressed and left his mark with a long-range effort versus Manchester United.
The Ecuador international has since become a mainstay in Potter's side this term, reportedly courting the interest of Arsenal and Liverpool. However, Brighton chairman and CEO Paul Barber has ruled out the possibility of Caicedo leaving, handing the Gunners a major blow.
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Speaking on talkSPORT, as quoted by HITC, Barber said: "Moises Caicedo has done well, but he is still a very young player. We know with young players, form is sometimes inconsistent, and we don't want the kind of pressure on Moises that these kinds of headlines create.
"But he is a very level-headed young man. He is more than capable of dealing with it, in our opinion. He has settled into the Premier League fantastically, and potentially he has got a World Cup to look forward to as well. It's a really good time for Moises, and we're delighted to have him."
The Gunners' reported late interest in the £17.2million-rated Seagull follows Edu's failed mission to sign Youri Tielemans. football.london understand that Arsenal are interested in signing the Leicester City star despite having already signed Fabio Vieira.
The north Londoners are known to be long admirers of the Belgium international, but with Thursday's deadline approaching and a deal yet to materialise, technical director Edu has begun to explore alternatives. And, Mikel Arteta has already been handed a huge setback with Caicedo off the cards, if Brighton chief Barber is to be believed.
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