Arsenal and Chelsea have set their sights on the same new target after both failing to sign Moises Caicedo. The 21-year-old was heavily linked with an exit from Brighton in January and, desperate to secure a move, he issued a shock statement on social media.
A switch failed to materialise with the Seagulls adamant that midfielder wasn't going to leave. football.london understands that Edu submitted two bids for the Ecuador international but both were rejected.
It was said that Todd Boehly was looking to sign Caicedo in the event that the Blues failed in their mission to acquire Enzo Fernandez from Benfica. The west Londoners eventually prioritised a move for the Argentina international before wrapping up a deal worth an eye-watering £107million.
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With Chelsea withdrawing themselves from the race, Arsenal were gifted a free-run at testing Brighton's resolve. But, Caicedo stay put and he's since penned a new long-term deal on the south coast.
So, the two London rivals appear to have set their sights on somebody else now. According to CBS journalist Ben Jacobs in a column for CaughtOffside, Declan Rice is a top target for both Arsenal and Chelsea in the summer.
The report states that they expect West Ham to cash-in on the midfielder if a bid of around £75million to £85m is submitted. It's said though that whoever misses out on Rice will revisit a deal for Caicedo.
With Arsenal set for a busy summer transfer window, Emmanuel Petit has urged the Gunners to sign the England international and Caicedo. Speaking to Premier League Odds, the former Premier League star said: "I’m a big fan of Declan Rice.
"It is time for him to leave West Ham and play at a higher level to reach his potential. He needs to play in important competitions every single season if he wants to improve and move on to the next stage.
"I think that he is struggling at West Ham and he does not have a good environment to adapt and improve. I’m also still a big fan of Mac Allister and Caicedo from Brighton, since I first saw them play.
"I know Arsenal won’t try and buy them all, but they would also fit next to Rice really well. It also wouldn’t be much of a big move, geographically, for Rice as he is located in London with West Ham, so the move won’t hurt too much.
"But with all due respect to West Ham, it is time for Rice to go. It reminds me of Lampard when he first left West Ham and went to Chelsea and look what he achieved for himself.
"He became one of the best midfielders in the world at Chelsea. Rice should follow his example and leave given Arsenal are ready to buy him."
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