Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi has offered a fresh stance on Moises Caicedo's future with the 21-year-old being linked with a summer transfer to Arsenal. The Gunners had two bids for Caicedo rejected by the Seagulls in January before he signed a new long-term deal to stay at the Amex Stadium until 2027.
The player himself then released a statement expressing his desire to leave the club during the winter window but he ultimately failed to push through a move. Caicedo's new deal will protect his market value and make it harder for a club to poach him from De Zerbi's squad this summer.
Caicedo has since made his feelings towards Arsenal very clear in a recent interview, with reports linking him with a move to the Emirates Stadium likely to dominate headlines over the summer. The 21-year-old put in an exceptional performance against the Gunners in Brighton's 3-0 win at the Emirates Stadium last weekend, highlighting his quality in front of the Arsenal fans, staff and players.
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football.london understands that West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice is Arteta's priority for the summer window as the north Londoners look to strengthen their options in the centre of the park, with Caicedo also one name on the club's shortlist of options. Now, De Zerbi has stressed Caicedo and Alexis Mac Allister are not guaranteed to leave Brighton this summer - but there is a possibility that may occur.
When asked if Caicedo and Mac Allister were going to leave Brighton, he replied: "I didn’t say it like this. I said it could be a possibility to lose some big players like Caicedo, Mac Allister and Mitoma.
"We are Brighton and I know the policy of our club, my club. We have to be ready to bring other good players with the right characteristic, the right condition of our club."
Following the Seagulls' 3-0 win against the Gunners on Sunday, head coach De Zerbi said on the midfield pairing: "For sure we will lose some players [this summer], maybe [Moises] Caicedo and [Alexis] Mac Allister. We have to be ready to bring in more good players and for the others; [Kaoru] Mitoma, [Pervis] Estupinan, I think for them the best solution is to stay with us."
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