Transfer Talk: Arsenal beat Chelsea to sign Moises Caicedo

The summer transfer window may not be open yet in Europe, but teams are getting ready for it, and there’s plenty of gossip swirling around. Transfer Talk brings you all the latest buzz on rumours, comings, goings and, of course, done deals!

TOP STORY: Arsenal move ahead of Chelsea in race to land Caicedo

Arsenal are favourites to sign Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo this summer, despite interest from rivals Chelsea, reports Football Insider.

The Ecuador international has enjoyed an impressive season on the south coast and has attracted interest from several Premier League clubs in the process. Arsenal were strongly linked with a £70 million deal to sign the 21-year-old in January; however, a move never materialised and Caicedo proceeded to sign a new contract with Brighton that runs until 2027.

Despite the new deal, the report reveals that Brighton are resigned to losing their star midfielder, although they will still demand a hefty fee of between £70m-£80m to part ways with Caicedo. While Chelsea are also believed to be interested, the Blues’ heavy spending over the last year means they are unlikely to sign the midfielder as they look to cut costs this summer.

The lure of Champions League football has put Arsenal in the driving seat to secure the signature of Caicedo, following Chelsea‘s lacklustre season where they will be without any European football next season. And, alongside Caicedo, Arsenal have been linked with West Ham’s £100m-rated star Declan Rice.

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09.29 BST: Nottingham Forest are safe, which is a relief to them given their lucrative transfer window spending.

Ahead of next season, the Daily Telegraph reports that they want to seal a permanent deal for Manchester United goalkeeper Dean Henderson.

Henderson, 26, has been on loan at the club but suffered an injury that kept him out of action for the second half of the season and Forest signed Keylor Navas on loan from Paris Saint-Germain to replace him.

The England international’s future at Old Trafford is uncertain, with David De Gea still No. 1.

08.37 BST: Udinese sporting director Pierpaolo Marino has denied reports that his club has received an offer from Napoli for Beto.

Beto, 25, is under contract with Udinese until June 2026. The Portuguese striker has scored 10 goals in 31 league appearances for Udinese and has attracted the attention of the Serie A champions.

“We haven’t received any offer for Beto,” Marino said. However, he confirmed that Beto could leave this summer if his €25m release clause is met.

08.00 BST: Chelsea have made Dusan Vlahovic their No. 1 target for the summer, and have placed an €80m offer to sign the Juventus striker, sources told ESPN.

Vlahovic, 23, is under contract with Juve until June 2026. But the club will only consider placing the Serbia forward on the transfer list for a larger fee comes along, Sky Italia reports.

Since joining Juve from Fiorentina in January 2022 in an €70m transfer, Vlahovic has not lived up to expectations and could leave the club this summer. Bayern Munich are among the clubs that have expressed interest in signing Vlahovic, with Juve expecting to receive an offer from the German giants in the coming weeks.

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PAPER GOSSIP (by Rajan Hothi)

– AC Milan are hopeful of landing midfielder Daichi Kamada this summer, per Calciomercato. The Eintracht Frankfurt playmaker will depart the Bundesliga outfit on a free transfer at the end of the season and, despite being linked with Borussia Dortmund and Napoli, Milan look to lead the race for the 26-year-old. The Japan international has netted 16 goals, alongside six assists, across all competitions this season, becoming one of the most sought-after free agents in the process.

– Ansu Fati wants to stay at Barcelona, however, the Spanish giants are not opposed to parting ways with the winger, according to Mundo Deportivo. The 20-year-old has featured 48 times in all competitions this season, scoring seven times. It is believed the club will have to offload a number of players in the summer as they look to trim their wage bill to ensure they comply with LaLiga‘s Financial Fair Play regulations, with Fati potentially being sacrificed. Wolves have been linked with the forward, although it is not known whether he is convinced by the potential switch.

– Aston Villa and Wolves lead the race for Strasbourg midfielder Habib Diarra, report the Sun. The 19-year-old has impressed in Ligue 1 this season and has reportedly garnered interest from the likes of Manchester City, Manchester United and Spurs. The report suggests that Villa and Wolves currently head the chase to sign Diarra, however, Strasbourg will demand a sizeable fee for the youngster.

– Forwards Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Neal Maupay are expected to depart Everton in the summer, per the Sun. The pair have struggled for the relegation-threatened Toffees, netting a combined three goals with injuries in particular, proving a problem for Calvert-Lewin, who has made just 16 Premier League appearances this season. The report indicates that Tom Cannon, who impressed on loan at Championship side Preston in the second half of the season, could become the lead striker at the club if the pair were to leave Goodison Park in the summer.

– Brighton have joined Manchester United in the race for midfielder Davide Frattesi, according to Football Insider. The 23-year-old featured in every Serie A fixture for Sassuolo this season, netting seven goals, leading to interest from the Premier League. With Caicedo and Alexis Mac Allister set to depart Brighton in the summer, manager Roberto De Zerbi is in the market for midfield reinforcements, and the report suggests the south coast club will challenge Manchester United for the signature of Frattesi.