Brighton’s latest Moises Caicedo demands could anger Arsenal again

Brighton and Hove Albion are a tough nut to crack. In January, it was difficult for Arsenal to reach a harmonious compromise with them through no fault of their own. In summer, after qualifying for Europe for the first time in the club’s history, the Brighton board are not making life any easier for Moises Caicedo to leave.

After we revealed that Moises Caicedo was available to buy, it was clear who the competing clubs were: Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United. However, Brighton have just upped their demands, which could be a real frustration.

For today’s Arsenal transfer news, click here.

Brighton and Hove Albion up demands for Arsenal target Moises Caicedo

According to The Telegraph, Brighton are set to demand “significantly more” than £70m to sell the 21-year-old midfielder Caicedo. Having dropped out of the race in January, it wouldn’t surprise me if Arsenal did the same in summer.

Arsenal have plenty of midfield options, including the most obvious Declan Rice. Rice is much greater value for money than Caicedo is. If it’s a choice between the two for similar valuations, then Mikel Arteta is likely to stick with Rice since it’s been a priority for many months now that Rice is the number one choice.

I would assume that upping Caicedo’s valuation is a direct result of selling Alexis Mac Allister to Liverpool for so cheap. Brighton are being critiqued for being too easy with their player sales, so they may wish to make up for it with the asset that is Caicedo. After all, the Seagulls do have their own transfer shortlist to tick off.

What do you make of today’s Arsenal transfer news?