Monday Morning Deal: Arsenal ‘seem determined’ to add £80m PL star to £208m trio to create ‘truly insane team’

Arsenal ‘seem determined’ to add £80m PL star to £208m trio to create ‘truly insane team’

Arsenal technical director Edu and Mikel Arteta attend a match.
Arsenal still want to bring Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo to the Emirates Stadium despite their huge deal for Declan Rice, according to reports.

The Gunners completing the signing of Rice from West Ham on Saturday in a deal worth £105m after months of speculation.

Rice joins Jurrien Timber, who left Ajax for the Emirates Stadium in a £38m transfer, and Kai Havertz, a £65m signing from Premier League rivals Chelsea.

Rumours towards the start of the window claimed that Mikel Arteta and technical director Edu wanted five signings this summer with two midfielders, a right-back, a centre-back and a forward on their list.

Their £208m splurge on Rice, Timber and Havertz leaves the potential for two more signings before the end of the transfer market and Spanish publication Fichajes are convinced they will go back in for Brighton’s Caicedo.

Arsenal reportedly bid £70m for the Ecuador international in the January transfer window but, despite Caicedo pushing for a transfer, Brighton convinced him to sign a new deal once the transfer window shut.

READ MORE: Tchouameni to Arsenal among five 2023 Premier League transfers for big-money 2022 signings

Chelsea and Liverpool have both been mooted as potential destinations for Caicedo with Football Insider insisting earlier this week that the Blues are ‘close to agreeing’ an £80m deal for the 21-year-old.

However, Fichajes insists that Arsenal ‘are considering making an offer’ for Caicedo despite their huge outlay already this summer and the Gunners ‘have made it clear that they are willing to make a financial effort to ensure they form a truly insane team’.

Arsenal ‘seem determined to reinforce their centre of the field with the incorporation of Caicedo’ but the report acknowledges it ‘will not be an easy task’ because of interest from Chelsea.

When asked about interest from Chelsea earlier this week, Caicedo told La Cancha Con Majo: “It’s a big team, that’s true, a very historic team.

“I can’t say no because it’s a very big, historic, beautiful team. And the city as well is beautiful.”

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On how he deals with the speculation, Caicedo added: “It’s a very great emotion. What guy wouldn’t want them to be talking about him?

“I know how to handle it. I don’t get carried away by emotions. I’m enjoying time with my family for now. There is pressure, but I am calm.

“I am waiting for whatever God decides. He will know what is best for me.”

Despite wanting to leave, Caicedo has a lot of praise for current club Brighton, he continued: “They opened the door for me in the Premier League. I am very happy to be there, all the moments that I have shared there I will always carry with me.

“The truth is this has been a dream year for me. Thanks to God I have achieved many things and I am very happy to be doing what I like the most at a very high level, and that people are speaking highly of me.

“So that’s something that’s very, very nice, something that I dreamed of and now I am living it.”

‘My Dream Has Always Been To Play For Arsenal’: Serie A Forward Hints At Future Emirates Switch

‘My dream has always been to play for Arsenal’: Serie A forward hints at future Emirates switch

Hellas Verona forward Cyril Ngonge has revealed that he dreams of playing for Arsenal at some point, but tempered talk of an imminent switch to The Emirates.

The 23-year-old spent four years in the Netherlands between 2019 and January 2023 before making the move to Italy and had a successful second half of the season with Verona.

Ngonge scored five goals and also managed an assist from 15 games as Verona managed to beat the drop in Italy’s top flight.

And after spending six months in Serie A, the forward has expressed how much he is already looking forward to next season, while also publicly talking about his admiration for the Gunners.

During an interview with TuttoMercatoWeb, Ngonge said: “My dream has always been to play for Arsenal. But now I’m in Italy, I love it so I might even want to stay. Just kidding, of course.”

Ngonge was used as a centre forward, No.10 and as a winger at Verona this year, showing his versatility in the process.

Ngonge focused on Verona for now
And even though he aims for a future move to Arsenal, his focus, at least for next season, is to star for current employer Verona.

He added: “Next season I would like to have an even bigger impact on Serie A. Hoping to play a full season.”

However, if Ngonge continues his current rate of progress, there is every chance Mikel Arteta’s men could take a look at the player, especially given his comments about the north London club.

Indeed, Gunners scouts could decide to take in a few Verona games next season to access whether the striker has a potential future in English football.

READ MORE: Arteta generates Arsenal interest in raid on Barcelona for gifted midfielder fulfilling Xavi demand