Moises Caicedo publicly declares he wants to leave Brighton following £60 million bid from Arsenal

Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo has publicly declared he wants to leave the club and take up a 'magnificent opportunity' following a £60 million bid from Arsenal.

The Premier League leaders saw a bid for Caicedo rejected on Friday after Brighton insisted he was not for sale.

Chelsea expressed interest in the 21-year-old earlier this month, with their £55 million offer turned down on the spot.

Brighton have already lost Leandro Trossard to Arsenal this month, with manager Roberto De Zerbi keen to keep his squad together until the summer.

He thanked Brighton owner Tony Bloom for bringing him to England in 2021 while claiming he'd always given his all for the Seagulls.

Caicedo arrived from Independiente del Valle for £4.5 million, an absolute steal, given his rapid rise over the last 18 months.

He added that his dream is to become one of the most-decorated players in the history of Ecuadorian football after coming from a 'poor upbringing' in Santa Domingo. Caicedo did not mention the club he wishes to join in the statement.

It reads: "I am grateful to Mr Bloom and Brighton for giving me the chance to come to the Premier League and I feel I have always done my best for them. I always play football with a smile and with heart.

"I am the youngest of 10 siblings from a poor upbringing in Santa Domingo in Ecuador. My dream always to be the most decorated player in the history of Ecuador.

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"I am proud to be able to bring in a record transfer fee for Brighton which would allow them to reinvest it and help the club continue to be successful.

"The fans have taken me into their hearts and they will always be in my heart so I hope they can understand why I want to take up this magnificent opportunity."

Caicedo's post came shortly after Arsenal's FA Cup elimination at the hands of Manchester City. Nathan Ake's strike in the second half was enough to secure victory for City and passage to the fifth round.

Gunners boss Mikel Arteta was asked about Caicedo's Instagram post in his post-match press conference. He said: "You know that I’m not going to comment on any players until anything is done and I’ll continue like that, sorry."

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When asked if he wanted to add to his squad before Tuesday's transfer deadline, the Spaniard replied: "We’ve been pretty active.

"We have some necessities and if something else is available the club is willing to try to do it when it’s reasonable and hopefully it’s a player that can improve our squad."

As well as Trossard, Arsenal have also signed Jakub Kiwior from Spezia. They return to Premier League action against Everton on February 4.