David Ornstein dropped a major update on Arsenal’s attempts to sign Moises Caicedo.
The Gunners have been keen to sign midfield reinforcements before this evening’s transfer deadline.
In turn, the club have reportedly agreed a £12million deal with Chelsea to sign Italy midfielder Jorginho.
The 31-year-old, who is into the last six months of his contract at Stamford Bridge, will now have a medical before signing an 18-month deal at Arsenal.
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The Gunners turned their attention to Jorginho after having two bids worth up to £70million rejected for Brighton star Caicedo.
Indeed, so far the Seagulls have been resistant to selling the Ecuador midfielder, given they are hoping to secure European football this term.
Ornstein drops update on Caicedo
The Athletic’s transfer guru Ornstein reiterated that Brighton were insistent that Caicedo would not be leaving in the January window.
Speaking on BBC 5 Live, the journalist said: “Brighton have said [Caicedo] is not for sale - this is case closed.
“There’s nothing to discuss here because he’s going nowhere.
“[He’s] 21 years old, he’s under contract until 2025, and I revealed in my Monday column on the Athletic this morning that there’s an option to take that a further 12 months until 2026.
“Brighton say that’s irrelevant because he’s staying put, even though he released this statement on Instagram, even though conversations have gone on, even though Brighton will have recruitment plans in place for anybody who leaves.”
Sky Sports journalist Dharmesh Sheth has claimed that Arsenal are still open to signing Caicedo, even if the Jorginho deal goes through.
However, Ornstein has since stated in the Athletic that there is an acceptance at Arsenal that Brighton’s stance on Caicedo means their pursuit of the 21-year-old is over.
Follow updates of all today’s transfer action on the SPORTbible live blog.
Topics: Football, Transfers, Jorginho, Moises Caicedo, Brighton And Hove Albion, Chelsea, Arsenal
Chris Byfield