"They have got money clearly" - David Ornstein claims Arsenal could outbid Chelsea for Premier League midfielder
Renowned journalist David Ornstein has claimed that Arsenal have the money to outbid rivals Chelsea for Brighton & Hove Albion man Moises Caicedo. However, Ornstein does not believe the Premier League leaders will splurge that much money to sign the midfielder in the January transfer window.
Sam Dean, a reputed reporter for The Telegraph, has recently claimed that Arsenal are contemplating signing Caicedo from Brighton. Their rivals Chelsea have reportedly had one £55 million bid rejected, as the Seagulls want an excess of £75 million for their prized possession.
Arsenal are considering a £75m move for Brighton's Moises Caicedo and could once again go head-to-head with Chelsea in the transfer market 👀📰 https://t.co/EpfdlyjMgK
Reacting to Dean’s report, Ornstein claimed that Mikel Arteta’s side had the financial strength to outbid their rivals, but he was unsure if they would break the bank this month itself.
“Sam Dean’s story in The Telegraph tonight is saying they’re ‘considering’ it and ‘if’ they decide to go forward with it,” Ornstein said on Sky Sports.
“So clearly, Caicedo is a player who Arsenal like. The same with Chelsea, they had a £55 million bid rejected, a formal offer last week. There has been reported interest from Liverpool but Brighton have been steadfast in their view that he’s not going anywhere, and it would take a hell of a lot more than Chelsea’s £55 million bid to even tempt them to consider selling him.”
Ornstein continued:
“If £75 million is the area Arsenal are looking to go, that’s higher than their rivals. They have got money clearly, given that they went even higher for Mykhaylo Mudryk. But, I would hazard a guess he’s most likely to stay at Brighton in this particular window because I just don’t see clubs going to the level of expenditure it’s going to take for Brighton to part with him.
“I think it would be unlikely at this stage that Arsenal will manage to pull it off, although they want to invest or recruit in midfield, whether it be a permanent or loan deal.”
Caicedo, 21, has featured in 18 Premier League games this season, scoring once and claiming an assist. His current deal with Brighton expires in June 2025.
Chelsea reportedly set price for out-of-favor star Hakim Ziyech
According to Italian reporter Gianluca Di Marzio, Graham Potter’s side are looking to offload out-of-favor forward Hakim Ziyech in the ongoing winter transfer window. The Blues have reportedly set a £17.5 million (€20 million) price tag for the Moroccan winger.
According to Gianluca Di Marzio, Chelsea want £17.5 million for Hakim Ziyech, who is currently the first choice to replace Nicolò Zaniolo at Roma.
Italian outfit AS Roma are reportedly interested in bringing Ziyech to Serie A. However, they would only proceed if Nicolo Zaniolo is sold to AFC Bournemouth. It has been claimed that Roma would fund Ziyech’s transfer with the money they get from Zaniolo’s transfer.
Roma reportedly prefer a loan transfer, but Chelsea cannot loan Ziyech out as they have reached the maximum number of non-domestic loans (21).