Arsenal have spent a lot of money this summer – but Chelsea are set to pip them to a major target in the coming days
Arsenal’s Pursuit of Moises Caicedo Falters as Chelsea Emerges as Favorites
Arsenal’s hopes of securing one of their key summer targets, Moises Caicedo, are diminishing as London rivals Chelsea enter the race.
The Gunners have been actively engaged in the transfer market, recently securing deals for Kai Havertz, Declan Rice, and Jurrien Timber, with a combined expenditure of £200 million. While only the signing of Havertz has been officially announced thus far, the other two are expected to follow suit.
After such significant spending, Arsenal needs to balance their books before committing to further investments. Granit Xhaka’s departure to Bayer Leverkusen for £20 million helps in that regard. However, should manager Mikel Arteta offload a couple more peripheral players, he aims to reinforce the midfield. Unfortunately for Arsenal, their pursuit of long-term target Moises Caicedo seems to be fading, as Chelsea now appears poised to sign the Ecuadorian midfielder.
According to renowned transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, the possibility of Caicedo joining Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium is diminishing. Romano tweeted, “[I] understand Moises Caicedo deal is now ‘moving’ between Chelsea and Brighton. The two clubs are discussing [the] amount of [the] fixed fee.”
Arsenal had expressed interest in acquiring Caicedo towards the end of the January transfer window, as reported by The Athletic. However, the player opted to sign a new contract with Brighton to safeguard his value, potentially including a release clause in case of renewed interest.
Arteta has already added Havertz to his midfield options, but he may require a more defensive-minded alternative. If the Arsenal manager still wishes to sign Caicedo, he must act swiftly to offload players before committing to another substantial outlay. Fabrizio Romano confirms that Chelsea has reached personal terms with the player and now only needs to agree on a transfer fee.
