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Chelsea have reportedly cooled their interest in Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Moises Caicedo as Arsenal have also entered the race for the Ecuadorian. The Blues were interested in signing Caicedo after their failed pursuit of Enzo Fernandez.
The Gunners, meanwhile, are looking to bolster their squad as they look to maintain their status as Premier League leaders. Mohamed Elneny is out injured and there is no certain return date for the Egyptian yet.
Manager Mikel Arteta is keen to add some competition for Thomas Partey. Caicedo could also work as a solid backup for the Ghanaian.
As per the Evening Standard, Brighton are keen to hold on to the player in the ongoing January transfer window. They are also under no financial pressure at the moment, having already sold Leandro Trossard to Arsenal for €26 million.
Brighton will also ask for a club record fee for Caicedo.
Chelsea paid them a club-record €62 million last summer to sign Marc Cucurella. The Ecuadorian midfielder is expected to cost around €75 million and the price tag has put Todd Boehly's team off.
Caicedo, 21, has made 21 appearances for Brighton across competitions this season, scoring one goal and providing one assist.
It looked like Fernandez will join the Blues in January. However, Benfica wanted €120 million for the midfielder and the two sides couldn't reach an agreement regarding the transfer fee.
The Argentine stayed put at Benfica and according to Portuguese media outlet Record, he will receive a €2 million bonus for staying at the club.
Speaking about Fernandez, Benfica coach Roger Schmidt said (via We Ain't Got No History):
“When you see Enzo playing for Benfica you see a very happy player, in great shape. He’s not thinking about anything else. I’m not expecting to lose any of our regulars, and that’s why I see very focused players and I hope this stays that way.”
Chelsea and Arsenal have already bolstered their squad in January
Chelsea have already made a handful of signings in January. David Datro Fofana, Andrey Santos, Benoit Badiashile, Mykhaylo Mudryk, and Noni Madueke have joined the club on permanent transfers. Joao Felix, meanwhile, has made a loan move from Atletico Madrid.
Arsenal, on the other hand, have acquired the services of Leandro Trossard from Brighton & Hove Albion. Polish central defender Jakub Kiwior also joined the club from Serie A side Spezia for €20 million.
