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Arsenal lining up double summer swoop for Caicedo and Rice

By on February 1, 2023

Moises Caicedo

Arsenal are reportedly plotting an audacious double summer swoop for Declan Rice and Moises Caicedo, as per Sky Sports journalist Dharmesh Sheth.

Following the conclusion of the January window that saw the Gunners making three major acquisitions, Mikel Arteta’s side appear to have already started planning their transfer businesses for next summer.

Arsenal tried to sign Caicedo last month and made two official proposals worth up to £70m. But Brighton & Hove Albion turned down both offers and decided to keep hold of their star man. This forced the Gunners to look at alternative targets and they ended up signing Jorginho from Chelsea on deadline day.

As per Sheth (via Football Daily), having failed to get the deal done in January, Arsenal are expected to revisit signing Caicedo next summer if he doesn’t commit his long-term future with the Seagulls. In addition, Arsenal are also set to launch an audacious move to sign West Ham star Declan Rice as well as Caicedo.

Sheth said:

“I’m told that whatever Arsenal bid, Brighton were not going to sell Moises Caicedo in this transfer window. This will then fast forward into the summer – if he doesn’t sign a new contract – we’re going to have another saga again. Caicedo, Rice, Arsenal in for both of those we think in the summer.”

Arsenal eye double swoop

Arsenal could face stiff competition for the paid as Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United have also been linked with moves for Caicedo and Rice.

Caicedo still has two and a half years left in his current contract, so Brighton are in a strong position to ask a big fee for their star man next summer and it has been reported that the Seagulls could consider selling if the likes of Arsenal offer a fee of around £80m.

In addition, West Ham have slapped a £70m valuation on Rice’s head. So, Arsenal will need to spend around £150m to sign both Premier League midfielders in the summer.

It’s going to be interesting to see whether Arsenal will be able to broker deals for the midfield duo over the coming months. Caicedo and Rice would form a formidable midfield partnership if the club’s hierarchy can manage to broker deals for both of them.

However, having already got Jorginho, Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey, it remains to be seen whether Arteta’s side will opt to spend £150m to sign two more new faces in the middle of the park. Or use some of that money to strengthen other parts of the squad.

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