Chelsea could get the last laugh over Arsenal again in the transfer window. The Gunners face a £72million transfer problem which could lead the Blues to beat them to the signing of Moises Caicedo like they did with Mykhaylo Mudryk.
Arsenal are keen to recruit in midfield and Caicedo is one of their top targets. Declan Rice is the No 1 option for Mikel Arteta, though, and a deal for the West Ham skipper will be prioritised.
Rice could cost in excess of £100m, putting a big dent into Arteta’s summer budget. Brighton would likely demand at least £80m for Caicedo.
Arsenal had a £70m offer for the Ecuador star turned down in January and he has since seen his value increase by signing a new contract at the Amex. The Gunners may well have to raise funds in order to sign Caicedo alongside Rice.
But they have a major issue in the shape of Nicolas Pepe. The winger remains Arsenal’s record signing at £72m.
He still has a year remaining on his contract at the Emirates after spending a season on loan at Nice. It appears he will not join the Ligue 1 club on a permanent basis and will therefore return to Arsenal this summer.
In an ideal world, Arteta would look to recoup a big chunk of the £72m spent on Pepe. But it would be unrealistic to think the Gunners would even get anywhere near half that amount.
Pepe flattered to deceive at Nice at times, with six goals and no assists in just 19 Ligue 1 outings. He has hardly seen his stock rise since being away from the Premier League.
Pepe remains one of the highest earners at Arsenal, with Spotrac claiming he will be on £140,000 a week when he returns. Sporting director Edu may struggle to find a club willing to pay a fee for Pepe as well as take on his hefty wages.
Another loan for the 28-year-old could be on the cards. But that won’t help Arsenal and Chelsea could sneak in and beat them to Caicedo.
Chelsea have a recent history of beating Arsenal to major signings. In January they stormed ahead of their London rivals by offering £88m to sign Mudryk from Shakhtar Donetsk.
Mudryk seemed destined to join Arsenal and was regularly flirting with the idea on social media. But Shakhtar’s asking price was too high for Edu and Chelsea had the last laugh.
History could repeat itself this summer if Arsenal cannot raise funds to sign Caicedo. It would be a big blow to miss out on the 21-year-old, while it would strengthen a team in Chelsea who could become a direct rival again next term.
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