Arsenal and Chelsea to reignite battle for Brighton star

Tom Weber

• Updated: 4 May 2023 20:10 BST
• 3 min read

Arsenal and Chelsea have battled for the signatures of several players lately, and they are prepared to do it again in the summer.

When Chelsea hijacked Arsenal's move for Mykhaylo Mudryk, the latter ended up with Brighton star Leandro Trossard. In the end, it turned out that the Gunners got the better deal, with Trossard impressing in North London, while Mudryk has failed to have the desired impact at Stamford Bridge.

Another player these two English giants battled for in January was Trossard's erstwhile teammate Moises Caicedo. The Ecuadorian has been one of this season's breakout stars and his Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) has skyrocketed accordingly. The Seagulls signed the 21-year-old for just €5 million in 2021 and he is now peaking at an impressive ETV of €30.1m.

READ: Chelsea's THREE summer transfer priorities revealed

Back in January, neither of the two London outfits managed to secure Caicedo's signature. Wary of losing two of their standout performers in one window, Brighton played hardball and did not allow the wantaway midfielder to leave for the €80m that were offered. They have managed to tie him down to an improved deal since, but that won't deter Chelsea and Arsenal this summer.

Is it time to move on?

Indeed, the two are ready to reignite their battle in the coming months, if a report by Football Insider is to be believed. While Champions League side Arsenal may be a more attractive proposition for Caicedo, it will be tough for either side to complete a deal.

As FootballTransfers exclusively reported on Tuesday, Mikel Arteta is to be given a sizeable war chest in order to turn the Gunners into a side that can challenge for European titles. That said, Arsenal probably won't blow huge sums of money on two midfielders, meaning that they will likely have to choose between Caicedo and Declan Rice, for whom they are now considered the clear favourites.

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If Arsenal were to end up with Rice, Chelsea would have a free run at Caicedo, but would they be able to afford him? After €600m spent this season, the Blues will have to tone it down a bit next term so as to not breach Financial Fair Play. Since Brighton likely won't take less than the €80m they wanted in January, a move to Stamford Bridge may be tough to pull off.