Brighton chief executive explains transfer policy after Arsenal and Chelsea failed to sign Moises Caicedo

The Albion midfielder was the subject of one of the biggest transfer sagas in the winter window, as Arsenal and Chelsea both attempted to sign the 21-year-old.

However, the Seagulls were adamant the player would not leave the club in January and rejected two bids of £60m and £70m from the Gunners, as well as turning down a £55m verbal offer from their London rivals.

The player himself even publicly pleaded with the club to let him leave via a social media statement, but Barber told the JP&T: The Football Friendly podcast that the club were not in a position to lose Caicedo at that time.

Barber said: “In the case of [Moises] Caicedo, it may well have been right for the club that wanted him, it may well have been right for him personally but it wasn't right for our club and so the answer was no and he stayed. There was no amount of money during January that was going to allow us or commit us to parting company with Moises [Caicedo].

"It was a critical player, we're sixth in the Premier League, we are going well, and we want to try and finish as high as we possibly can because we have an opportunity for the first time in our history to do even better than we have done previously which was finishing ninth in the Premier League."

Brighton are known for operating a policy of not stopping their staff from talking to other teams if they want to leave, as long as the deal works for them as a club.

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For instance, the club were willing to sell Leandro Trossard to Arsenal last month for £27m, after the player had publicly asked to go following a fall-out with manager Roberto De Zerbi, having only six months left on his contract at the Amex Stadium.

Barber pointed out why the timing of Trossard’s sale was more suitable to both the Belgium winger and them as club, saying: “For [Leandro] Trossard, contractually it was the right time for him and us, financially it was right for us and it was also right for him and ultimately it was right for Arsenal so that deal got done.”

Brighton transfer policy has allowed them to negotiate successful high-valued prices for some of their best players in recent years, previously bringing in more than £160m from the sales of Ben White, Dan Burn, Yvies Bissouma, Marc Cucurella and Neil Maupay.

Albion’s boardroom operates a long-term succession planning operation, meaning they are already planning a staff member’s replacement from the day he signs with the club.

This meant they were able to cope with losing their talented head coach Graham Potter to Chelsea in September, with the club fourth in the Premier League table, and rake in £10m in the process.

Barber said: "The trick in any football club and I think particularly one of our size is to make sure you have succession plans in place. So we try and look at every position, whether it's on or off the field, and we try and think about what would happen if for whatever reason that person was not in that position,"

"So it could be Chelsea coming in for Graham Potter in September. Not ideal by far, not what we wanted at all but it's an opportunity for Graham [Potter] and his family and ultimately his staff and their families to progress in their careers and secure their financial futures. So, we are realistic about that.

"Provided it is right for us with the finances and the contractual position, we are not going to stand in someone's way and the same is true of players but it has to be right for us as well as them.”