Moises Caicedo is set to follow the example set by Leandro Trossard and Marc Cucurella in trying to force his way out of Brighton amid transfer bids from both Chelsea and Arsenal in the past week.
Arsenal January signing Trossard was heaped with praise following his full debut against Manchester City in the fourth round of the FA Cup on Friday night. The Belgian made the switch from Brighton last week as the first signing of the window, joining on an initial £21million fee.
Trossard became the Gunners’ first signing of the winter window following Chelsea’s acquisition of Mykhailo Mudryk from Shakhtar Donetsk. Arsenal signed Trossard as alternative, with a deal being relatively easily to complete due to the Belgian’s actions to force through a move.
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Before joining Arsenal in late into the January window Trossard had been dropped from first-team training amid interest from clubs in the Premier League. The agent of the player also spoke out about his desire to leave the club, which also led to the winger being left out of the matchday squad against Liverpool before he made the switch.
And he's not the first Brighton player to force their way out of the club this season. Cucurella also managed to seal a move away from the south coast in the summer, after handing in a transfer request amid interest from Manchester City. Pep Guardiola's side were eventually outbid by Chelsea, with Graham Potter then following him to Stamford Bridge in September.
It seems that Caicedo is following the example of Trossard and Cucurella in order to secure a move. Arsenal ramped up their interest on Friday as a £60million bid for Moises Caicedo had been rejected, football.london understands. The Gunners submitted a proposal for the Ecuadorian international to Brighton, but it is thought that the Seagulls rejected the approach promptly. That follows a £55million bid from Chelsea which was rejected earlier this week.
Following the Gunners’ bid, Caicedo released a statement on Instagram making it known that he wished to depart Brighton & Hove Albion. The statement read: read: "I am grateful to Mr. Bloom and Brighton for giving me the chance to come to the Premier League and I feel I have always done my best for them. I always play football with a smile and with heart.
"I am the youngest of 10 siblings from a poor upbringing in Santa Domingo in Ecuador. My dream always to be the most decorated player in the history of Ecuador. I am proud to be able to bring in a record transfer fee for Brighton which would allow them to reinvest it and help the club continue to be successful.
"The fans have taken me into their hearts and they will always be in my heart so I hope they can understand why I want to take up this magnificent opportunity."
According to Fabrizio Romano, Caicedo has now missed training with Brighton on Saturday morning, as he wants to leave immediately. Caicedo will also miss tomorrow’s FA Cup fixture against Liverpool. On top of this, CBS Sports' Ben Jacobs has reported that Moises Caicedo will not return to Brighton until after the transfer window closes. However, the club's stance on a sale remains unchanged.
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