Moises Caicedo: Arsenal make £60m bid for Brighton midfielder but offer expected to be rejected | Football News

Arsenal have made a £60m bid for Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo.

The bid is expected to be rejected, with Brighton insisting Caicedo is not for sale in this January transfer window.

Last week, Brighton coach Roberto De Zerbi said: “the best solution is that he finishes the season with us and in the summer he changes teams”.

Caicedo has two and a half years left on his contract – and is unlikely to sign a new one. As a result, Brighton will be doing due diligence on a potential succession plan.

Earlier this week, Caicedo has addressed questions about his future by saying he’s “focused only” on the south coast club.

Speaking after Brighton’s 2-2 draw at Leicester on Saturday, Caicedo told The Argus: “I am focused now on Brighton. I am here, I’m playing every day.

“What happens outside doesn’t trouble me, nor does it take the focus away because I’m focused only on here.”

What would Caicedo bring to Arsenal?

Sky Sports’ football data editor Adam Smith:

The radar graphic below compares Caicedo with all central midfielders in Europe’s top leagues this season and reveals his primary strengths include general distribution, creating chances and winning duels.

Caicedo also provides box-to-box qualities from a typical No 6 role, patrolling the left-of-centre in defensive and opposition halves in almost equal measure.

He has attempted only two shots from inside the box in the Premier League this term and is far more inclined to strike from outside the area – hitting the target three times from 10 long-range attempts.

In terms of creating chances, Caicedo frequently penetrates opposition lines with threaded passes in central areas but has also found team-mates from wide areas.

The graphic below highlights how Caicedo’s passes are primarily made down the central and left-hand thirds and underlines his box-to-box influence, while the passing direction radar reveals an impressive accuracy and progressive vision – with barely any passes angled back towards his own goal.

He is also cool under pressure, with only two team-mates recording a better ball-retention rate when being hunted down by opposition players, and is also the key component in Brighton’s transition phases, according to Second Spectrum data.

At just 21, Caceido also offers a long-term solution and investment and would drop the Gunners’ league-low average age even lower. But he has experience, too – collecting 28 senior caps for his nation and impressing at the World Cup in Qatar.

Some may baulk at the proposed fee, but Caicedo provides serious midfield mettle and scope for development, while his remaining deal at the AMEX, a soaring transfer market and growing competition for transfer targets nudges prices ever higher.

Follow the January transfer window with Sky Sports

Who will be on the move this winter? The January transfer window closes at 11pm in England and midnight in Scotland on Tuesday January 31, 2023.

Keep up-to-date with all the latest transfer news and rumours in our dedicated Transfer Centre blog on Sky Sports’ digital platforms. You can also catch up with the ins, outs and analysis on Sky Sports News.