have been dealt a blow of their summer season plans to recruit a midfielder for after Moises Caicedo opted to signal a brand new contract with . It signifies that chief Edu Gaspar has just one goal left to chase within the subsequent switch window, with captain firmly in his sights.
The Gunners chased Caicedo for almost all of the January switch window and had three bids rejected for the Ecuadorian midfielder as Brighton held agency on their £90million valuation. That determine put Caicedo out of their attain, with Arsenal's highest bid believed to have been £75m together with add-ons.
And the Seagulls have now taken the chance to reward the 21-year-old with a bumper new contract, which can expire in 2027 with an possibility of an extra yr. Whereas such a transfer is unlikely to finish all hypothesis concerning his future, it places Brighton in a far stronger negotiating place and Arsenal could have to look elsewhere to strengthen their midfield.
Edu Gaspar has proved to be an astute operator within the switch market, securing abilities resembling Gabriel Martinelli for small charges and even stablished stars like Martin Odegaard for discount costs.
And it seems the Brazilian will now have to scour the market to search out one other midfielder to focus on and fulfill Arteta's demand for an additional tough-tackling basic.
Rice has emerged because the most definitely candidate to take Thomas Partey's place within the midfield as issues proceed to hold over the Ghanaian's long-term health. The 24-year-old is among the most constant performers within the Premier League and his performances have attracted curiosity from Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United.
Now that Caicedo is out of the image, Arsenal could should focus their efforts on attempting to safe Rice's signature in the summertime because the midfielder appears prone to depart the London Stadium. His contract is because of expire in 2024 and with the England worldwide but to signal a renewal, West Ham will search to money in on the £100m-rated midfielder.
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The Gunners are concentrating their efforts on their title push forward of their residence conflict with Bournemouth on Saturday, with Mikel Arteta's facet in pole place to finish a 19-year watch for a Premier League title.
However away from the pitch, Edu will probably be making ready a suggestion to entice Rice into swapping east London for the north facet of the capital.
Sensible recruitment selections over the previous two years and the event of youth on the membership have propelled Arsenal again into competition after two dire years. Their latest uplift in stature has seen them competing for a few of the most proficient gamers round - and Rice will surely match the invoice after excelling at each membership and worldwide degree.
Manchester Metropolis's curiosity within the midfielder may throw a spanner within the works, however Pep Guardiola could have to dump gamers resembling Kalvin Phillips and Bernardo Silva first earlier than they will think about a transfer. Within the meantime, Edu has the possibility to pounce and make up for the frustration of lacking out on Caicedo.