Arsenal ‘fear’ midfield target will join Chelsea as £100m deal close
Arsenal are close to signing one midfield target but are concerned about missing out on another
Arsenal ‘fear’ Premier League rivals Chelsea could beat them to the signing of Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo.
The Gunners had two bids rejected for the player in January as they made a £60m offer which was knocked back before returning with a £70m bid but the Seagulls stood firm on their stance not to sell Caicedo.
Caicedo appears to be on his way out of Brighton this summer despite signing a four-year deal, with an option for a further 12 months in the club’s favour, in March.
Football Transfers report Chelsea are now pushing to sign Caicedo this summer, having also display a brief interest in January. It is claimed Arsenal are concerned on losing out to their London rivals who will be able to offer the player a higher wage.
Arsenal are already close to completing a mega-money deal for West Ham midfielder Declan Rice as they aim to strengthen their squad following a second-place finish last term.
As reported by London World on Monday night, the deal is expected to surpass £100million once relevant bonuses are factored in.
Rice will become Arsenal’s club record signing, a record currently held by Nicolas Pepe following his £72.5million move in 2019.
Ilkay Gundogan is another midfield target under consideration, with the Man City star out of contract with the Premier League champions at the end of the month.
Rice captained West Ham to the Europa Conference League title last week as they beat Fiorentina to win their first major honour since 1980.
And last week, Hammers chairman David Sullivan confirmed the midfielder is likely to leave the club this summer.
He told talkSPORT: “We promised him he could go. He set his heart on going. You can’t ask for a man who has committed more to us this season. In due course, he has to get on and we have to get a replacement – or several replacements.
“It’s not something we want to happen. We offered him £200,000-a-week 18 months ago. He turned it down. It’s cost him £10million to stay at West Ham in that time (in lost wages). And he wants to go. You can’t keep a player who doesn’t want to be there.”