Brighton chief has one final subtle dig at Moises Caicedo agent after Arsenal and Chelsea transfer saga

Brighton were at the centre of a protracted and major talking point of the window as they rejected three offers for their midfielder Moises Caicedo. Chelsea were the first to test Brighton’s resolve as they opened the bidding at £50m. Arsenal then entered the bidding and had their first offer – thought to be around £60m – rejected by the Seagulls. Mikel Arteta’s team returned with £70m but once again Brighton held firm and refused to do business in the middle of the season.

Caicedo said he wanted to leave and he – or his agent – strongly expressed that wish on social media. The 21-year-old was placed “on leave” by Brighton until the end of the window and returned to action as a second half substitute during Albion’s 1-0 win against Bournemouth at the Amex Stadium last Saturday.

Caicedo received a warm reception from the crowd and is now said to be fully focussed on helping Albion achieve their ambition of European qualification. The general feeling is that Caicedo’s representatives were pushing extremely hard for the move and even accused Brighton – who signed the Ecuador international in 2021 for just £4m from Independiente del Valle – of standing in the way of his dream move.

Brighton however were reluctant sell late in the window and without time to secure an adequate replacement. “Much news was made of the attempts to lure Moises Caicedo away from our club,” wrote Barber in his programme notes ahead of the Bournemouth match. “However, we have also been clear that any departures have to be on terms and at times that suit us.

“In these moments, it’s vital the player receives the best possible advice from everyone around him. We have also always been very clear that January is not a window in which we like to do much, if any, business and particularly if it means we have to find replacements for players that leave. It’s typically a seller’s market, so buying is always difficult for anyone, but it’s only a seller’s market if the seller is willing. In the case of Moises, we were not.”

Barber added: “Moises is a fantastic young player, and a very popular lad around the club. He has a huge future ahead of him, but for now he is really important to us, so I know our fans will get behind him for the second half of the season. Agents and journalists all have jobs to do, but so do players. So, with the window now closed, we can all focus on the football.”

Brighton did however sell Leandro Trossard to Arsenal for around £22m, while Shane Duffy made his loan to Fulham permanent.

"We said goodbye and thanks to Leandro Trossard, who left for Arsenal, and Shane Duffy, whose loan to Fulham was made permanent,” wrote Barber.

“At 28 and 31 years of age respectively, Leo and Shane served our club well making over 270 appearances between them. Leo contributed significantly to our progress in the Premier League under Graham Potter, while Shane was an important figure in our promotion season and our opening Premier League campaigns. We wish them well.”