Caicedo confirms he wants to leave Brighton

Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo has confirmed he wants to leave the club in an open letter on his Instagram.

“I am grateful to Brighton for giving me the chance to come to the Premier League and I feel I have always done my best,” Caicedo’s post said.

Caicedo has made 26 appearances in the Premier League, scoring twice and is under contract until 2025.

“I always play football with a smile and with heart,” the statement by the Ecuador international said. “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.

“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.

“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 this magnificent opportunity.”

Brighton manager Roberto de Zerbi told a news conference on Friday that the midfielder was “relaxed” and “focused only on Brighton”.

The Italian said: “I spoke with him like a father, not like a coach.

“I hope he can stay with us until the end of the season… that’s the best solution for him and for us.”

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta was asked about Caicedo following his side’s FA Cup fourth-round defeat by Manchester City but refused to discuss the player.

“You know that I’m not going to comment on any players until anything is done,” he said.

Given they are currently sixth in the table, with the potential to move to fifth if they win their two games in hand on Tottenham, Brighton have no desire to sell the player, having also reportedly turned down a £55m bid by Chelsea.

The Seagulls sold Marc Cucurella to Chelsea in a deal worth £60m, Yves Bissouma to Tottenham for £25m plus add-ons and Neal Maupay to Everton for £15m in the summer.

Earlier this month, Leandro Trossard left them to join to Arsenal for an initial £21m.