Brighton have rejected a second bid from Arsenal worth £70m for midfielder Moises Caicedo, talkSPORT understands.
The Seagulls have reiterated their stance Caicedo is not for sale as the transfer window enters its final two days.
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Brighton had previously turned down a £60m offer for the 21-year-old, which led to him making a very public plea to leave.
He wrote on social media that he wanted to ‘take up this magnificent opportunity’ to join a top Premier League club, with Chelsea also making a bid this month.
Brighton are unwilling to sell and have given him time off until after the transfer window closes on Tuesday, January 31.
He was absent from the matc day squad as Roberto De Zerbi’s side beat Liverpool 2-1 in the FA Cup on Sunday.
Caicedo joined the Seagulls in 2021 from Independiente del Valle and he has made a stunning impact.
Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi was asked about the situation as Caicedo was absent against Liverpool.
“Caicedo is a good guy. We will see,” he said. “We hope he stays with us but this question for the club and Moises.
“In life you can make mistakes. We will see the best solution for the club, for Caicedo and for us.”
Premier League leaders Arsenal want to secure upgrades in the middle of the pitch, with West Ham and England’s Declan Rice also linked.
A deal for the Hammers captain would also be pricey and close to the £100m mark, but it may not be a case of one or the other for Mikel Arteta, who is keen on Caicedo AND Rice.
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The Gunners spent in the region of £135m during the summer on the likes of Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko from Manchester City, with both deals proving incredibly astute.
So far in January, they’ve already added to that, with Leandro Trossard joining from Brighton for £27m, and defender Jakub Kiwior arriving from Spezia for £22m.
