Premier League winner warns Arsenal to be ‘careful’ with Caicedo

Tom Hancock

• 1 Jun 2023 09:40 BST
• 3 min read

Arsenal should proceed with caution over the potential signing of Moises Caicedo from Brighton, says former Premier League-winning skipper Tim Sherwood.

FootballTransfers exclusively revealed on Wednesday (May 30) that Brighton are hopeful the Gunners will pay their £75m asking price for the Ecuador midfielder.

Caicedo, 21, was in Arsenal’s sights back in January, but Brighton rebuffed a £70m bid for the 21-year-old – who helped the Seagulls secure their first ever European qualification this season.

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Based on his rather meteoric rise so far, Caicedo has a ceiling which could make £75m come to look like a bargain – but Sherwood isn’t entirely convinced Arsenal would be getting a great deal.

The ex-England international – who captained Blackburn Rovers to Premier League glory in 1994/95 – told Leeds manager Sam Allardyce on the No Tippy Tappy Football podcast:

“They’ve got to be very careful with that one because [former Brighton midfielder Yves] Bissouma was talked about in the same vein and he went to Tottenham and he’s hardly played.”

READ: Man Utd to battle Arsenal and Chelsea for Brazilian World Cup starlet

Should Arsenal listen to Sherwood?

Bissouma joined Spurs last summer – but 13 of his 23 Premier League appearances for Arsenal’s North London rivals have been from the bench.

Sherwood’s concern seems likely to be misplaced, though: Caicedo appears to have all the hallmarks of a top-class midfield operator who can enhance a top side like Arsenal – who will return to the Champions League next term.

Signed from Ecuadorian club Independiente del Valle on deadline day of the 2021 winter transfer window, Caicedo was initially loaned out to Belgian outfit Beerschot but has gone on to establish himself as an utterly integral member of the Brighton team, first under Graham Potter then Roberto De Zerbi.