Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool have reportedly not given up hope of signing Brighton & Hove Albion's Moises Caicedo, despite the Ecuadorian's new contract at the Amex Stadium.
Only a few weeks after announcing his desire to leave the Seagulls at the end of the January transfer window, Caicedo has put pen to paper on a new long-term deal until 2027.
Arsenal made a late surge to sign Caicedo towards the end of the winter window, seeing two bids rejected by the Seagulls before the January market closed for business.
Following news of Arsenal's failed first offer, Caicedo publicly announced his wish to leave the Amex on Instagram, saying in a now-deleted post: "I am grateful to Mr. Bloom and Brighton for giving me the chance to come to the Premier League and I feel I have always done my best for them. I always play football with a smile and with heart.
"I am the youngest of 10 siblings from a poor upbringing in Santa Domingo in Ecuador. My dream always to be the most decorated player in the history of Ecuador.
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"I am proud to be able to bring in a record transfer fee for Brighton which would allow them to reinvest it and help the club continue to be successful.
"The fans have taken me into their hearts and they will always be in my heart so I hope they can understand why I want to take up this magnificent opportunity."
Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi briefly banished Caicedo from his squad, but he was quickly brought back in from the cold as Brighton stood firm on their stance that he is not for sale.
However, The Telegraph claims that all of Man United, Liverpool and Chelsea will still test Brighton's resolve in the summer and have not been put off by his new contract.
The report adds that Arsenal have ended their pursuit of Caicedo for the time being, with Brighton reluctant to do business with the Gunners, who did not heed the Seagulls' warnings that the 21-year-old was not for sale in January.
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The Premier League leaders could rekindle their interest in Caicedo should they fail in their efforts to sign West Ham United's Declan Rice, who is now said to be their prime midfield target for the summer window.
Brighton will be braced for offers for Caicedo in the summer, but they can play hardball in negotiations given his new deal, while Alexis Mac Allister has also attracted the attention of Champions League-chasing clubs.
Caicedo has two goals and three assists to boast from 36 games in a Brighton jersey since joining for just €5m (£4.4m) from Independiente del Valle in 2021, when Man United turned down the chance to sign him for a cut-price fee.
The Ecuador international played the full 90 minutes as Brighton thumped West Ham United 4-0 on Saturday afternoon, taking the Seagulls to within just one point of sixth-placed Liverpool and seventh-placed Fulham.
Ben Knapton
