- Caicedo wants out of Brighton
- Chelsea and Arsenal battling for signature
- Gunners seen a huge bid rejected already
WHAT HAPPENED? Amid rumours Arsenal have tabled a £60 million ($74m) bid for Caicedo, the midfielder has posted a message confirming his desire to leave Brighton. He stated his desire to be Ecuador's most successful player ever, as well as bring in a record fee for the club with his transfer.
WHAT THEY SAID: Caicedo's statement read: "I am grateful to [club owner] Mr. [Tony] Bloom and Brighton for giving me the chance to come to the Premier League and I feel I have always done my best for them. I always play football with a smile and with heart.
"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.
"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.
"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 up this magnificent opportunity.”
Next Match
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Brighton have already had to move on one of their star players this transfer window, with Leandro Trossard joining Arsenal. Caicedo has attracted huge interest for the past six months from many clubs and he looks to be trying to force a move before the deadline next week.
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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR BRIGHT & CAICEDO? Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi suggested he believed that Caicedo would be in the right frame of mind to face Liverpool on Sunday in the FA Cup, but this may have all changed following this statement
