Brighton & Hove Albion have reportedly rejected a £60m bid from Arsenal to sign midfielder Moises Caicedo.
Mikel Arteta has recently expressed his desire for the Gunners to recruit a new centre-midfielder before the January transfer window closes next Tuesday.
The Premier League leaders have already lured one Brighton player to the Emirates Stadium this month, with attacker Leandro Trossard signing for around £27m, while they spent around £50m on defender Ben White in the summer of 2021.
Arsenal are now said to have joined the likes of Chelsea and Liverpool in the race for Caicedo, who has quickly established himself as a star player at the Amex Stadium since making his Premier League debut in April.
According to talkSPORT, Arsenal have seen a £60m offer for Caicedo rejected by Brighton, who are insisting that the Ecuador international is not for sale this month.
The news of Arsenal's bid comes just over a week after it was reported that Chelsea have made an improved bid to sign the midfielder, having seen a opening £55m offer turned down by the Seagulls.
It is understood that Brighton value Caicedo at £100m and have made it clear to interested clubs that they have no intention of lowering their asking price.
The 21-year-old switched agents earlier this month, increasing speculation about a possible transfer away from the Seagulls, and he is under contract at the Amex until the summer of 2025.
Caicedo recently revealed that he is 'focused only on Brighton' amid speculation about his future, telling the club's official website: "I am focused on Brighton. I am here, I'm playing every day. Things from outside don't trouble me, nor does it take that focus away because I'm focused only on here.
"I handle [the speculation] well. You hear rumours here and there, but I only try to be focused on the club where I am now, the club which opened the doors for me to be playing every week."
Meanwhile, Brighton head coach Roberto De Zerbi has refused to rule out the prospect of Caicedo leaving the club in the near future and has insisted that the interest from top clubs "isn't a problem" for the youngster.
"The mentality of Moises is amazing. He doesn't need something more. To know that big teams in Europe want him isn't a problem for him," the Italian told reporters last week.
"He's 21 but like me, 43, because he's a good guy, a smart guy, mature guy. He's a very important player, a strong player, a big player. I think he can become one of the best midfielders in Europe. For me he is now, but in the next two years for sure, because he's technical but he, strong, physical. He's complete.
"But the question about whether we sell our big players is not for me, it's for our owner. The problem is not to sell. The problem is to buy the new players with the same level or the same potential as the ones you sell. For the moment I think the club is working well in terms of scouting for new players."
Arsenal have also been credited with an interest in Vitoria de Guimaraes midfielder Ibrahima Bamba, although his agent has played down rumours of a January move for his client to North London.
In addition, the Gunners are said to have identified West Ham United captain Declan Rice as their top target, although a possible big-money move to the Emirates will likely have to wait until the summer. body check tags ::
