It was one of the stories of the January transfer window when Arsenal bid £60m for Brighton & Hove Albion star Moises Caicedo.
And it was super close to happening. Even though Brighton turned down the offer, Caicedo was keen to make the move. Now, in his first interview since the transfer collapsed, Caicedo is honest when talking to The Telegraph about the move.
“I was really close to going,” Caicedo says. “I suffered a lot.”
Caicedo has been a standout player in the English Premier League this season. Brighton have been the surprise package of the season, with Caicedo and midfielder partner Alexis Mac Allister earning rave reviews for their performance. And there was no more dominant performance than when Brighton played Chelsea off the park at Stamford Bridge recently, with Caicedo’s performance making him the standout player on the pitch that day.
“I’m sure I’m going to have many more opportunities,” Caicedo told The Telegraph, reflecting on his failed move to the Emirates.
“That’s why I continue to do things well. [But] it was tough. At the beginning when I didn’t end up going, lots of people would make fun of me on Instagram.
“People treated me badly. I didn’t check my social media because it would hurt me to see things.”
When asked about the speculation surrounding his future Caicedo added, “I just want to have a really good season with Brighton now, to finish off the season well and play really well and then we’ll see what happens next season.”
Despite news of recent interest from Liverpool, who have their own midfield problems to sort out now that they’re no longer in the race for Jude Bellingham, Caicedo seemingly has his heart set on a move to Arsenal.
When asked if he wants the Gunners to win the Premier League, he added: “Of course. I hope so but let’s see.”
So Caicedo clearly still has a soft spot for The Gunners in his heart. Whether that means we’re going to see him in the red of Arsenal still remains to be seen. But his comments seem to suggest he still wants to move to The Emirates.
