Arsenal remain in talks with Brighton over a deal for Moises Caicedo. The Gunners have already had a £60million bid rejected for the midfielder and have since submitted a second offer worth £70million.
football.london understands that the Arsenal hierarchy are of the opinion that if Brighton are able to bring in a midfielder who can replace Caicedo before the January transfer window slams shut on Tuesday evening then negotiations could be back on.
According to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, Brighton are close to signing AIK midfielder Yasin Ayari. It's said the Swedish prodigy will join the club for €6m (£5.2m) and will undergo his medical in the coming days. Should the process go smoothly, Ayari will join Roberto De Zerbi's side as a potential Caicedo replacement, which could be good news for Edu and future Caicedo negotiations.
READ MORE: Brighton 'ready' for Moises Caicedo exit as Edu ponders second Arsenal January bid
Mikel Arteta has already openly admitted that he wants to bring in a midfielder before tomorrow's deadline, but it's unclear at this stage if that player will be Caicedo. "We need some more cover in midfield ideally if we can," the Spaniard told football.london on Thursday.
"In this market it’s pretty complicated to do that. The most important thing is that we get the performances and the time on the pitch that we need with the players we have available today that are already really good."
After missing Saturday's training session and Sunday's 2-1 win over Liverpool, speculation surrounding Caicedo's services are likely to intensify. After all, the player himself has already issued a plea to Brighton chairman Tony Bloom to let him leave in January.
"I am grateful to Mr. Bloom and Brighton for giving me the chance to come to the Premier League and I feel I have always done my best for them. I always play football with a smile and with heart," Caicedo said in a statement on Friday night.
"I am the youngest of 10 siblings from a poor upbringing in Santa Domingo in Ecuador. My dream always to be the most decorated player in the history of Ecuador. 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.
"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 up this magnificent opportunity."
So, if Edu does complete a deal for Caicedo before the January window closes, is there a place for the Ecuadorian in Arteta's starting XI? Here, we take a look at how Arsenal could line up with the 21-year-old in the side.
GK: Aaron Ramsdale
RB: Ben White
CB: William Saliba
CB: Gabriel
LB: Oleksandr Zinchenko
CM: Thomas Partey
CM: Moises Caicedo
CAM: Martin Odegaard
RW: Bukayo Saka
LW: Gabriel Martinelli
ST: Gabriel Jesus
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