Arsenal are keen to lure a new central midfielder to the Emirates Stadium when the transfer window reopens for business and Brighton & Hove Albion star Moises Caicedo will 'definitely be high' on Mikel Arteta's list of targets, journalist Pete O'Rourke has told GiveMeSport.
The Gunners strengthened their squad by acquiring Leandro Trossard, Jakub Kiwior and Jorginho last month, but there will be another opportunity to welcome reinforcements to north London in the summer.
Arsenal transfer news - Moises Caicedo
According to The Athletic, Arsenal's relationship with Brighton has soured after their public pursuit of Caicedo during the January window.
The report suggests the south coast club were unhappy with the way in which the Gunners persisted in their bid to sign the Ecuador international and it may weaken their position when it comes to attempting to strike a deal further down the line.
Arsenal lodged two bids worth up to £70million, having already seen Chelsea fail with a £55million proposal, but Brighton were unwilling to sanction Caicedo's departure midway through the campaign.
The central midfielder took to social media to confirm he wanted to seal his exit, but his current employers slapped a £100million price tag on him in a bid to deter his suitors from putting further offers on the table.
Respected journalist Rudy Galetti recently told GiveMeSport that Arsenal could revive their interest in Caicedo during the summer.
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What has Pete O'Rourke said about Caicedo?
O'Rourke understands that Arsenal chief Arteta is desperate to strengthen his options in the heart of the midfield.
As a result, the journalist is confident that Caicedo will still be on the Gunners' sporting director Edu's radar despite their failed pursuit in recent weeks.
O'Rourke told GiveMeSport: "It's a position that Arsenal are looking to strengthen in this summer.
"Mikel Arteta will be scouring the market for a midfielder and I'm sure Caicedo will definitely be high up among his list of targets again."
Should Arsenal revive their interest in Caicedo?
Ahead of the weekend, FBref statistics showed Caicedo had averaged more tackles, blocks and interceptions per 90 minutes than Arsenal duo Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey this season.
That emphasises the South American could add more bite to the Gunners' midfield, while he also boasts plenty of Premier League experience having made close to 30 appearances in the competition for Brighton.
Only four Seagulls teammates, along with Arsenal new-boy Trossard, have been handed a better average domestic match rating by WhoScored this term.
Caicedo also shone at the World Cup, with Sofascore data showing he won 61 per cent of the ground duels he was involved in while also getting his name on the scoresheet for Ecuador.
It is abundantly clear that the 21-year-old would be a strong addition to the Arsenal squad, but the fact he still has two-and-a-half years remaining on his £15,000-per-week contract means it will be difficult to persuade Brighton into sanctioning his departure.
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