Arsenal's relentless January pursuit of Brighton & Hove Albion's Moises Caicedo could have harmed their efforts to bring the Ecuadorian to the club this summer, according to a report.
The Gunners tabled an opening bid of £60m for the 21-year-old - who was also on Chelsea and Liverpool's radar - a few days before the deadline, but Brighton swiftly rejected the approach.
However, within hours of Arsenal's first offer being rejected, Caicedo dropped a bombshell announcement on social media, confirming his desire to leave Brighton and take up a "magnificent opportunity" at the Emirates.
"I am grateful to Mr. Bloom and Brighton for giving me the chance to come to the Premier League and I feel I have always done my best for them. I always play football with a smile and with heart," Caicedo wrote on Instagram.
"I am the youngest of 10 siblings from a poor upbringing in Santa Domingo in Ecuador. My dream always to be the most decorated player in the history of Ecuador.
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"I am proud to be able to bring in a record transfer fee for Brighton which would allow them to reinvest it and help the club continue to be successful.
"The fans have taken me into their hearts and they will always be in my heart so I hope they can understand why I want to take up this magnificent opportunity."
Caicedo was banished from training following his post, but Brighton stood firm on their £100m demands and rejected a second bid from Arsenal worth a total of £70m.
The 11pm deadline passed with Caicedo still a Brighton player, by which point Arsenal had moved onto other targets, signing Jorginho from Chelsea for £12m.
Mikel Arteta's men are expected to go back in for Caicedo during the summer transfer window, but according to The Athletic, Brighton will have reservations about dealing with Arsenal again.
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The report states that the Seagulls no longer feel comfortable engaging with the Premier League leaders, who have also taken Leandro Trossard and Ben White off of their hands recently.
While Caicedo is likely to earn the big-money move he and his agents desire, Arsenal are unlikely to strike a deal with the Seagulls, having refused to drop their interest when informed that he was not for sale under any circumstances last month.
Caicedo has recorded two goals and three assists in 31 games for Brighton since joining from Independiente del Valle in 2021, but he was dropped from the squad to face Liverpool in the FA Cup last weekend amid his transfer saga.
Roberto De Zerbi's men still managed to knock out the holders 2-1 in the fourth round, with Lewis Dunk and Kaoru Mitoma netting after Harvey Elliott's opener.
Caicedo has now returned to training with the Seagulls and is expected to be involved in Saturday's Premier League contest with Bournemouth at the Amex Stadium.
Ben Knapton
