Moises Caicedo appears to have ended any chance of leaving Brighton to join any of Liverpool, Chelsea or Arsenal in the January transfer window with his recent comments.
The Ecuadorian international has long been the subject of intense interest from a number of the Premier League's biggest sides but it looks like Caicedo has no interest in leaving the South Coast any time soon with remarks that will come as music to the ears of the Amex faithful.
Having made his debut for Brighton in April of last year, Caicedo has barely been out of the team; such is the level of technical quality he boasts. It is also the reason why so many clubs are desperate to land his signature, though it looks like they will have to wait.
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."
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Caicedo also waxed lyrical over the impact new boss Roberto De Zerbi has had on him since the Italian's arrival following Graham Potter's departure.
The midfielder insisted he was 'enjoying' life under the manager and certainly seems comfortable with the idea of snubbing the giants currently keen on him.
“Roberto [De Zerbi] has really helped me in bringing the ball out from the back and I think I have learned it well, I enjoy playing the ball out from the back," he added. "We do it well, coming out from deep positions. It is his preferred system and I’m enjoying it."
The 21-year-old is widely regarded as one of the most promising young midfielders in the league and while he has plenty of admirers, Chelsea are the first to lodge an official bid of £55million, though that offer was swifly rejected by those at the top of the Brighton hierachy.
It is thought that the Seagulls are holding out for an offer worth at least £70m, which Chelsea are rumoured to be considering offering.
A large factor behind such an astronomical fee is the fact that Caicedo still has four years left to run on his current Seagulls deal, meaning Brighton are not in a position where they can be cornered into selling at a cut-price fee.
