Moises Caicedo “suffered a lot” after failed Arsenal move

The Brighton star was on the verge of joining the Gunners last winter.

Moises Caicedo has revealed he was “very close” to joining Arsenal in January.

Caicedo emerged as a transfer priority for the Gunners in the winter transfer window. The Brighton star publicly expressed his wish to join Mikel Arteta’s team, who hope to end the club’s 19-year wait to reclaim the Premier League title this season.

“I was really close to joining Arsenal, so I suffered a lot,” Caicedo told Daily Telegraph.

“I’d seen a lot of Arsenal before knowing that there was a possibility of me signing for them.

“I watched them and I liked them because they have very young, talented players and some stars but they always have that mindset of wanting more.

“I’m sure I’m gonna have many more opportunities”.

The move fell through due to Brighton’s high valuation of the 21-year-old. Caicedo then reintegrated quickly into Roberto De Zerbi’s side as they continued their successful campaign in the Premier League and the FA Cup.

He added: “They all supported me. When I came back, they welcomed me once again.

“That was lovely for me because it was like being at home again. They all supported me. So, I resumed training, full of hunger to be back in the side and help them.”