Arsenal are top at Christmas but when was the last time they won the league title from this position?
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Fabrizio Romano has claimed the new deal at Brighton does not include a release clause, with the Seagulls expecting bigger clubs to come knocking in the summer:
“The expectation is for big clubs to be back again in the summer. So things will happen again around Moises Caicedo in the summer; of course, Brighton will be stronger in the negotiation after this new contract. There is no release clause in the contract of Moises Caicedo, but he’s one to watch in the summer, for sure.”
Is Caicedo worth the money?
It is believed the Gunners had offered in the region of £70m for Caicedo in January, which does beg the question of what Brighton will now be asking for him.
Having penned a new deal, the Seagulls now appear to be in a stronger position than they were earlier in the year to demand a higher fee for their midfielder.
Arsenal have also been linked with a potential move for Declan Rice this summer, who only has one-year remaining on his current deal at West Ham United.
The pair have established themselves as two of the best in the Premier League in their position but this new deal may potentially eliminate the notion of going for both in the summer.
Rice has proven the bigger attacking threat – albeit only scoring twice – having provided more shot-creating actions per 90 minutes in comparison to Caicedo (via FBref).
However, the Brighton man has averaged more tackles and passes per 90 minutes compared to the England midfielder this season.
Having also offered more tackles per 90 than current Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey, Caicedo has shown signs of potentially being able to provide the Gunners with a long-term option in midfield.
However, this new deal may potentially put a spanner in the works, with the asking price possibly skyrocketing on the back of the contract extension.