Arsenal fear the club will miss out on the signing of Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo, with Chelsea preparing to outbid their London rivals.
Arsenal failed with an approach to sign Caicedo during the January transfer window but have renewed their interest as the north Londoners look to strengthen ahead of next season.
The Gunners agreed a deal with Caicedo’s representatives during the winter window, but failed to match Brighton’s asking price of around £70m.
Arsenal had hoped to return this summer and meet Brighton’s valuation with personal terms already agreed, but Football Transfers are reporting that there are fears Chelsea will outbid them in the race for Caicedo.
Chelsea also saw an offer turned down last winter and are now ‘pushing very hard’ to complete a deal. The west Londoners signed Mykhailo Mudryk ahead of Arsenal in January and there are concerns from the Gunners that that situation could be repeated.
Arsenal believe Chelsea will be able to convince Caicedo with the offer of a higher contract, with money reportedly a decisive factor in the player’s decision on his next move. Caicedo’s representatives are also demanding a higher salary than during January’s negotiations and Chelsea are ‘looking likelier’ to match those demands.
Caicedo has emerged as one of the Premier League’s most talented youngsters after an excellent season for Brighton, who secured a top-six finish and Europa League qualification.
The 21-year-old ranked second in the Premier League for both tackles and interceptions in 2022/23 and Manchester United have also asked to be kept informed on the midfielder’s future.
