Arsenal and Chelsea have been handed a twist in the race to sign Brighton star Moises Caicedo this summer as a "secret offer" has been revealed. The Ecuadorian international has been heavily linked with a move to both London clubs in the coming weeks after interest in January.
The Blues and the Gunners attempted to land the 21-year-old in the previous window, lodging late bids that turned to the player requesting an exit in a public statement. The Seagulls held onto the youngster, signing him up to a brand new contract that would keep him at the club.
However, despite the new deal, it was later revealed by manager Roberto De Zerbi that Caicedo would be free to leave in the summer market. This has led to further interest, with teams stepping up their approach for the versatile midfielder in the previous few weeks.
Arsenal have been one of those but football.london understands that deals for Declan Rice and Kai Havertz would make any move for Caicedo unlikely. However, while that does put them in a different position in their chances of landing him, the interest from the Gunners isn't completely over.
With the red side of London focusing on other priorities, it hands the advantage over to the blue side as Chelsea step up their pursuit. football.london understands that Caicedo is a priority for the west London outfit, who have confidence they can strike a deal with Brighton.
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Reports have stated that personal terms are close to being completed over a switch to Stamford Bridge, leaving just a deal with Brighton to be struck. That's something that Chelsea may have been working on for longer than has been suggested in recent weeks.
That's because, according to The Athletic, the Blues submitted a £60million offer to the Seagulls just two weeks ago, coming as something of a "secret" bid after radio silence on it. While this offer appears to have been rejected, it suggests that perhaps the move is further along than once thought.
It adds yet another twist to the tale, with Chelsea seemingly closing in on Caicedo, while Arsenal will have to react quickly if they do decide he is a priority target.
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