Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo took to social media to confirm that he wants to leave the club following reports of a rejected £60M Arsenal bid for his services.
Caicedo, a 21-year-old Ecuadorian international, made a series of posts on Instagram and Twitter, essentially pleading his case to be allowed to leave Brighton in this transfer window.
He said: “I am grateful to Brighton for giving me the chance to come to the Premier League and I feel I have always done my best. I always play football with a smile and with heart.
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“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.
“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.
“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 this magnificent opportunity.”
The posts came after it was widely reported that Brighton had rejected Arsenal’s offer which would represent a record sale for the club.
Brighton are believed to be reluctant to lose such a highly influential player so late in the January transfer window, and are subsequently unlikely to make it easy for Arsenal to get this deal over the line.
It was reported earlier in January that a £55m bid from Chelsea had also been rejected, while Liverpool are also commonly reported to be interested in acquiring the Ecuadorian.
However, Arsenal may also be highly motivated buyers.
Should Partey’s injury keep him out of the team for a significant period, it would represent a blow to the Gunners’ Premier League title hopes. Partey has made 16 appearances in the league so far this season, with Arsenal winning 14 and drawing two.
It was subsequently reported on Saturday morning that the Gunners had returned with an improved offer.
Whether that will be enough to convince Brighton to let Caicedo leave remains to be seen.
Caicedo joined Brighton in 2020 from Independiente in Ecuador, and spent the 2021-22 season on loan at Beerschot in Belgium. This is his first full season in the Premier League.
The Seagulls have been highly effective sellers within the Premier League in recent years with the sales of Marc Cucurella, Ben White, Yves Bissouma, Leandro Trossard, Neal Maupay and Dan Burn bringing in nearly £200m in transfer fees in the last two years.
White and Trossard both moved to Arsenal, with Trossard making the switch earlier in this transfer window.
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