Moises Caicedo's agent has broken his silence after his client was denied an exit from Brighton in the January transfer window. The 21-year-old was heavily linked with a move to both Arsenal and Chelsea last month but a switch failed to materialise.
football.london understands that Caicedo was the Gunners' primary target and it's believed that Edu submitted two bids for the Ecuador international. But both were rejected, with the Seagulls insistent on not selling the midfielder.
It's said that Todd Boehly was also looking to sign Caicedo in the event that the Blues failed in their mission to sign Enzo Fernandez from Benfica. The west Londoners eventually prioritised a move for the Argentina international as they grew in confidence before wrapping up a deal worth £106.7million.
READ MORE: Chelsea star reveals 'priceless' Enzo Fernandez quality after £106m transfer
With Chelsea withdrawing themselves from the race to sign Caicedo, Arsenal were handed a free-run at testing Brighton's resolve. Desperate for an exit from the Amex Stadium amid the Gunners' interest, the Ecuadorian issued a shock statement on social media pleading for a move.
In an interview with Marca90Ec, as quoted by Ole, Caicedo's agent Manuel Sierra addressed his client's failed move. Sierra took responsibility for helping draft the youngster's statement.
"The offers were received, you see what is on the table and Moises says that he wants to go forward, that it is the dream of his whole life," said the Brighton star's agent. "That it is an opportunity that may not be repeated in life.
"And we helped draft the statement. In that statement he expresses his wish and his gratitude to the club because they gave him the chance to fulfil his dream of playing in the Premier League.
"We don’t know what can happen tomorrow, maybe he trains and gets injured. We can’t know what’s going to happen."
Caicedo was not at training over the weekend and missed the clash between Roberto de Zerbi's side and Liverpool after being told to stay away from the club as the transfer saga unfolded. The midfielder returned to action on Monday and could feature against Bournemouth on Saturday afternoon.
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