Moises Caicedo confirms why he really chose Chelsea transfer over Arsenal

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Moises Caicedo believes fate played its part after reflecting on his collapsed move to Arsenal in January 2023. The Gunners had a £60million offer for Caicedo turned down by Brighton and Hove Albion .

Arsenal lodged a proposal for the Ecuador star, but Brighton quickly knocked back the approach. It came as Mikel Arteta hunted for midfield additions amid worries over Mohamed Elneny's fitness. Yet Brighton have repeatedly demonstrated they won't budge below their asking price, as evidenced with Marc Cucurella and Ben White . Just months after Arsenal's approach, Caicedo completed a £115million switch to Chelsea .

Speaking to the Daily Mail about how close he came to making his way to the Emirates Stadium, Caicedo said: "Everything happens for a reason.

"I almost did it but now I'm here and I'm so happy. The timing was good. I waited until Chelsea came for me. People laughed. They said I chose the wrong place, but sometimes you need time to adapt to a big team. I needed that.

"I want to give everything to this club because they didn't doubt me. I chose Chelsea because they have ambitions. I want to win trophies – more trophies with this club."

Liverpool also tried to land the 24-year-old, striking an £111m agreement with Brighton, but the transfer fell through after Caicedo made his intention to join Chelsea crystal clear.

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He has adapted swiftly to the squad, featuring prominently for Enzo Maresca's outfit on numerous occasions this campaign.

And Caicedo is also brimming with confidence ahead of Sunday's clash against Arsenal at 4:30pm. Arteta's squad are currently six points clear at the top of the Premier League table, sparking belief among many that they could finally clinch the trophy that has been out of their grasp for 21 years.

When questioned if Chelsea could bring them back down to earth, the midfielder responded: "Why not? They are doing really well, but we haven't faced them yet."

It comes as Declan Rice recently revealed that he voted for Caicedo in his PFA Team of the Year submission. Speaking on CBS Sports , the Arsenal midfielder explained: "I have a lot of respect for Moises Caicedo.

"I voted him last year in my PFA Team of the Year. I thought he was outstanding. There's so many comparisons, but we're playing different positions."

Sunday should see an exciting clash between the two centre-midfielders, with the victor of Arsenal's match with Chelsea potentially being decided by their battle in the engine room.

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