Arsenal and Chelsea in 'secret' transfer battle for Moises Caicedo

Arsenal and Chelsea are in the race to sign Moises Caicedo this summer, with a "secret" transfer offer having been made

The Blues and the Gunners attempted to land the 21-year-old in the previous window, lodging late bids that turned to the player requesting an exit in a public statement. The Seagulls held onto the youngster, signing him up to a brand new contract that would keep him at the club.

However, despite the new deal, it was later revealed by manager Roberto De Zerbi that Caicedo would be free to leave in the summer market. This has led to further interest, with teams stepping up their approach for the versatile midfielder in the previous few weeks.

With the red side of London focusing on other priorities, it hands the advantage over to the blue side as Chelsea step up their pursuit. football.london understands that Caicedo is a priority for the west London outfit, who have confidence they can strike a deal with Brighton.

Reports have stated that personal terms are close to being completed over a switch to Stamford Bridge, leaving just a deal with Brighton to be struck. That's something that Chelsea may have been working on for longer than has been suggested in recent weeks.

That's because, according to The Athletic, the Blues submitted a £60million offer to the Seagulls just two weeks ago, coming as something of a "secret" bid after radio silence on it. While this offer appears to have been rejected, it suggests that perhaps the move is further along than once thought.

It adds yet another twist to the tale, with Chelsea seemingly closing in on Caicedo, while Arsenal will have to react quickly if they do decide he is a priority target.