Brighton star Moises Caicedo has revealed it has always been a ‘dream’ of his to play for Real Madrid, despite being close to joining Arsenal or Chelsea in January. The Ecuadorian midfielder is still on the radar of a number of top clubs ahead of the summer transfer window despite signing a new long-term deal with the Seagulls.
In a recent interview, Caicedo opened up on his failed transfer to Arsenal and admitted he was ‘hurt’ after a move did not materialise.
Moises Caicedo said: “I was really close to going [to Arsenal]. I suffered a lot. I’m sure I’m going to have many more opportunities. That’s why I continue to do things well. [But] it was tough.”
Chelsea had a verbal offer in the region of £55million turned down by Brighton as they were able to keep hold of their prized asset until the end of the season. Now, Caicedo has revealed his ‘dream’ of playing for Real Madrid as the Ecuador international continues to publicly express his career ambitions. In an interview with Cadena SER,
Moises Caicedo said: “It was always my dream to play for Real Madrid. Now I’m doing things very well and why not one day play there and win the Champions League with Real Madrid? The way they play, the personality, the style, it’s really impressive. A move to Madrid may take some time to materialise given their wealth of talent in midfield with the likes of Eduardo Camavinga, Aurelien Tchouameni, Luka Modric and Toni Kroos among Carlo Ancelotti’s options.
However, a move away from Brighton this summer is not out of the question despite Caicedo signing a new deal in February. The Ecuadorian midfielder continues to attract interest from Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United – with the new contract protecting his market value and allowing Brighton to demand a huge fee to let him leave.