Liverpool's hopes of making a move for Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo appear to have been dashed after the player published a farewell message to Brighton fans via social media on Friday evening.
But his intended destination appears to be Arsenal, after the Gunners had a £60million offer for the Ecuadorian rejected on Friday afternoon - an amount Liverpool reportedly have no interest in matching in the current window.
Sharing a statement on both his Instagram and Twitter pages, Caicedo said: "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.
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"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.”
Reports are yet to confirm if Arsenal have indeed made an improved offer for the midfield target, but the nature of the 21-year-old's statement suggests that the Gunners have returned to the table with an improved offer that was agreeable to Brighton, paving the way for a switch to the league-leaders in January.
Liverpool may have to turn their attention to other targets in the summer, as they look to restructure their midfield.
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