Arsenal could upgrade with £70m swoop for "monster"

The 21-year-old would be a significant midfield upgrade

Arsenal are eyeing a Premier League gem ahead of the transfer window, as Mikel Arteta prepares for a busy summer in charge at the Emirates.

The Spaniard will hope to continue the Gunners’ status as title contenders next campaign - something he could ensure of by signing a name that has been linked to the club since January.

As reported by London World earlier this week, Arsenal are ‘preparing’ a new bid for Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Moises Caicedo.

The 21-year-old has been on the north Londoners' radar since January, where the Seagulls rejected multiple bids for the ace.

London World suspects that the Gunners will bid around £75m for the midfielder, a fee that was rejected by the club in January.

The report states that Brighton's stance is ‘clear’, as they have an agreement to sell the player due to his wishes.

Hailed as a "machine" by talent scout Jacek Kulig, the 21-year-old is sought by the Gunners for reasons that are extremely clear.

As per Sofascore, the midfielder has maintained an average match rating of 7.08, placing him among the club's top five performers this campaign.

The Ecuadorian would be a valuable asset for Arteta to add to his midfield, especially with rumours surfacing placing Jorginho's future at the Emirates in doubt.

The Italy international has won an average of 55% of his total duels this season with 4 per game - numbers that are less impressive in comparison to Caicedo, who averages 58% with 5.9 won per game, via Sofascore.

Despite rumours being premature regarding the 31-year-old's future this summer, Arteta could replace and upgrade the former Chelsea ace with the Brighton gem, enforcing a new-found level of stability to his midfield.

The 21-year-old wins a huge average of 64% of his aerial duels per game compared to Jorginho's 49%, suggesting that he would be a better option for Arsenal in terms of physicality alone.

Although identified for his passing abilities, the Gunners wouldn't be missing the expertise of the Italian's distribution as much as expected in replacing him with Caicedo.

As per FBref, the youngster has maintained a higher rate of pass completion than the experienced Jorginho this campaign, averaging a rate of 88.5% per 90, placing him in the top 6% of midfielders in the league in this area, with the Arsenal ace scoring 85.8%.

Arsenal have wanted the services of Caicedo for months, and with him due to become available this summer, Arteta must act fast to guarantee his involvement at the Emirates next season, with other clubs queuing to capture his signature.

Rosie is a freelance writer and Sports Journalism graduate from Solent University in 2019. Since leaving University, Rosie has contributed to websites such as VAVEL.com, GGFN, Pundit Feed and Online Gooner. Rosie is a huge Arsenal fan and contributes to the classic club fanzine The Gooner.