Arsenal surge clear of Chelsea for part one of £170m double deal thanks to Arteta brilliance

Arsenal have given the greenlight to a £170m double deal and a report has explained why phase one of that plan is taking shape at Chelsea’s expense.

After a season that promised so much, Arsenal now cannot wait for it to end. The title is Man City’s and Arsenal will ultimately end the campaign without silverware. However, it cannot be argued significant steps in the right direction have been taken by many at the Emirates.

Mikel Arteta is front and centre among them, though per the Times, the Spaniard is not content to sit back and admire his handywork.

Indeed, the newspaper reported a £170m double swoop for midfield pair Declan Rice and Moises Caicedo has been greenlit by Arsenal. The breakdown of money would roughly be £100m for Rice and £70m for Caicedo.

Arsenal and Chelsea both bid big for Ecuador international Caicedo in January. However, Brighton refused to entertain a mid-season sale at any price. Come the summer, the story will be different.

Indeed, speaking after Brighton’s 3-0 victory over the Gunners last week, Seagulls boss Roberto De Zerbi admitted: “For sure we will lose some players, maybe Caicedo and [Alexis] Mac Allister.”

Mac Allister will join Liverpool according to one of Argentina’s most reliable football journalists. Caicedo, according to Football Insider, is shaping up to join Arsenal rather than Chelsea.

The online outlet state Arsenal are on ‘pole position’ for the move that is expected to cost between £70m-£80m.

Explaining why Arsenal are favourites, it’s stated Caicedo will favour joining a team who can offer Champions League football.

Thanks in large part to Arteta’s brilliance, Arsenal will grace the UCL for the first time since 2017 next season. Chelsea, meanwhile, can only finish as high as 11th and will not have a European campaign of any kind next year.

Caicedo replacement has passed Brighton medical

FI add Brighton are ‘resigned to losing’ Caicedo, hence the upcoming move for Mahmoud Dahoud from Borussia Dortmund. The combative midfielder is viewed as the natural successor to Caicedo and has already passed a medical.

Caicedo is known as a tough-tackling and athletic holding midfielder and will fancy his chances of ousting Thomas Partey who faded badly when Arsenal needed him most.

Partey will still have a place in the Gunners squad if both Caicedo and Rice are signed, though Granit Xhaka will not.

The fiery Switzerland international is poised to return to Germany with Bayer Leverkusen in a €15m deal.

Clearly, Arsenal are determined to go one better next season after a near-miss this time around.

TRANSFER GOSSIP: Stunning Arsenal raid for Man City ace now involves Real Madrid; £40m Chelsea signing greenlit