After their second offer was rejected by Brighton, Arsenal might give up on Moises Caicedo

After their increased offer for the Brighton player Moises Caicedo was turned down, Arsenal is thinking about backing out of the agreement.

The Seagulls put a £70 million offer on the table late on Sunday, which was also rejected, while the Gunners had a £60 million offer rejected.

In a statement posted to social media immediately after Arsenal made their initial offer, Caicedo reiterated his desire to quit the club and join the Premier League leaders, despite Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi saying the team is “ready to move forward” without the Ecuadorian international.

After Mohamed Elneny sustained an injury, Mikel Arteta is in a rush to bolster his midfield. However, The Mail reports that after their most recent offer was rejected, Arsenal may now decide to cease their pursuit of the Brighton star.

The 21-year-old, who has only featured in 26 Premier League games but is widely considered as one of the top young prospects in the nation, has drawn a whopping £90 million asking price from Brighton.

Caicedo wasn’t part of the team that defeated Liverpool 2-1 in the FA Cup on Sunday because he hadn’t been to practice with his teammates since Friday night, when he made his comment on social media.

His manager is unsure if he will still be in the lineup when they play Bournemouth on Saturday, therefore he is not anticipated to return to practice until after the transfer market shuts on Tuesday.

‘Caicedo is a very, very good guy,’ De Zerbi said after the 2-1 win over Jurgen Klopp’s side. ‘I can understand him because when you are 21, and you receive the request of a big, big team that are playing in Europe, I can understand.

‘I would like that he can finish the season with us but we are ready to go forward without him.

‘I think we need some players in some positions.

‘I spoke a lot of time with Tony (Bloom) he knows very well my opinion because we are a good team but we can improve also from the transfer market.

‘We lost Trossard, if we lose also Caicedo it can be a problem for us. If we want to fight for Europe, or the maximum on the table.

‘If we want to stay like this (at our current level), we can. But I don’t like.’