Arsenal's pursuit of Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo has been a frustrating one so far for Mikel Arteta.
The Gunners boss has made it no secret of his desire to bolster his options in the centre of the park and Caicedo has emerged as the primary target for the winter window, with a £60million bid rejected by the Seagulls on Friday, football.london understands. Recent reports have indicated that Roberto De Zerbi's side have since rebuffed a £70 million offer from the north Londoners as they look to hold onto the 21-year-old for the remainder of the 2022/23 campaign.
Caicedo, who released a statement on Instagram making his intentions to leave the club known, missed Brighton's training session on Saturday and Sunday's 2-1 win over Liverpool, with questions surrounding his future at the Amex Stadium continuing to mount. Prior to the FA Cup clash against the Reds, Brighton manager De Zerbi reiterated his hopes of keeping the midfielder until the end of the season, despite interest from Chelsea and Arsenal.
READ MORE: Arsenal handed Moises Caicedo £75m transfer boost by Brighton with £5.2m confirmation
"Moises is a good guy," he told ITV Sport. "We will see tomorrow and the next few days what happens. We hope he stays us with us until the end of the season but this is a question for the club and Moises.
"I think in life you can make mistakes. For everyone there are many solutions and we will see the best solution for the club and for him and for us."
Now, with only two days until the January window slams shut, the Gunners have received a potential boost in their pursuit of Caicedo as Brighton have completed the signing of AIK midfielder Yasin Ayari.
The Swedish prodigy has joined the club for a reported €6m (£5.2m) and will undergo his medical next week. Should the process go smoothly, Ayari will join De Zerbi's side as a potential Caicedo replacement.
Despite recruiting their own midfield replacement, Arsenal's task of signing Caicedo remains a tricky one. Brighton have told the club that their star is not for sale, despite talks ongoing. However, the Seagulls have proved in the past of their will-power to inherit high transfer fees with the loss of Marc Cucurella, Yves Bissouma, Leandro Trossard and Ben White.
READ NEXT:
Brighton decision to reject Arsenal's Moises Caicedo bid part of long term success plan
Arsenal and Chelsea handed Moises Caicedo transfer twist after 'dream' Man United admission
Arsenal's Premier League squad after January transfer window if three deals are completed
Find the footballs on the football.london website to win cash prize, vouchers and TV worth £3,000
Arsenal news and transfers LIVE: All the latest news, rumours and gossip from the Emirates Stadium
