Why Caicedo addition could finally end Arsenal's 19-year title wait

 

Not content with raiding Brighton once this month, Arsenal are reportedly prepared to do so again before the January transfer window closes next week. The Gunners have enjoyed a superb month in the market, bringing in Leandro Trossard from the Seagulls to swell their attacking options, while boosting at the back with the addition of Poland international Jakub Kiwior from Italian side Spezia. 

 

Having missed out on both Joao Felix and Mykhailo Mudryk to Chelsea, many may have felt the Gunners would struggle to strengthen the squad appropriately this month, and yet with days until deadline day, Mikel Arteta has added a new face to the attack and defence. Attention, then, turns to the key area of the pitch; the midfield. An elephant in the room has been the middle of the park for Arsenal, even before they launched their title assault. 

 

Granit Xhaka is now 30, while Thomas Partey will join the Switzerland international in the 30-club in mid-June. Fabio Vieira arrived from FC Porto to provide additional attacking cover for Martin Odegaard, yet with Mohamed Elneny also 30, and injured, and Albert Sambi Lokonga inexperienced, injury to the Egyptian has forced Arsenal's hand. If anything, it has merely accelerated their pursuit of central midfield reinforcements. 

 

At the very latest, Arsenal were going to explore their options in the summer. Then Elneny pulled up with a knee issue in training prior to the Gunners' 2-0 North London Derby win over Tottenham earlier this month. "We need some more cover in midfield ideally if we can. In this market it’s pretty complicated to do that," Arteta said on Wednesday. West Ham skipper Declan Rice was the rumoured number one target, and yet; reports of a big money move for Brighton star Moises Caicedo have begun to circulate. 

 

While Brighton were willing to cash in on Trossard given his age and lack of game time under Roberto De Zerbi, the Seagulls are far more reluctant to lose Caicedo at this stage of the season. The south coast side have been very impressive after a rocky start to life under the Italian following his appointment as Graham Potter's successor at the AMEX, and much of that is down to their midfield core. 

 

Utilising a 4-2-3-1 setup, Caicedo has formed a superb understanding with World Cup winner Alexis Mac Allister, filling the void left by Yves Bissouma's move to Tottenham with ease. Unsurprisingly, the Premier League's heavy hitters have taken notice of Caicedo's seamless transition to English football. While Brighton may have rejected Arsenal's initial £60m bid for the Ecuador star, it wouldn't be a shock to see the Gunners return for the 21-year-old in the coming days as they seek to bolster their midfield. 

 

 

Naturally Brighton are adament that there will be no outgoings between now and the transfer window closing, but as is the case with any high profile deal, this is expected to rumble on over the coming days. As Arsenal gear up for an important second half to the season as they chase a first Premier League title in 19 years, top-quality personnel is required to ensure cover in key areas that'll allow the Gunners to go the distance this season. 

 

Now, Caicedo won't move to the Emirates as a first choice midfielder, but initially as cover, primarily for Partey. It's no coincidence that Arsenal's top-four push fell apart in the absence of the Ghana international last season, so another player to carry out his defensive work would be a huge bonus should Partey miss out for one reason or another, and additionally allows for Arteta to plan for the future. 

 

What's crucial is now that De Zerbi has taken over as Brighton boss, the system the Italian implements at the AMEX is similar to Arteta's at Arsenal, so Caicedo has the experience of playing alongside another central midfield in a deep role. He shields the defence well, too, which is to be expected from a player of his skill set in his position. Indeed, a return of 2.9 tackles per 90 ranks 14th of those to have registered at least 1000 minutes of Premier League action, and a slight improvement on Partey's average of 2.3. 

 

However, what is crucial here is that both are attempting relatively the same number of tackles per 90, just that Caicedo (86.7%) has a better success rate than Partey (73.5%). Additionally, the former has showcased his positional awareness well in the Premier League this season, noted in a return of 1.5 interceptions per 90, again a rise on Partey (1.2), highlighting he doesn't always need to adopt a physical approach to deny opponents. 

 

When they do win the ball, though, this is where Partey does outshine Caicedo. While that is not to say the Arsenal star underwhelms when out of possession, but when he does get back on the ball, Partey knows when to drive Arsenal forward, noted in a solid dribble success rate of 61.1%, that a huge improvement on Caicedo's return of 37.5%. That said, this is a quality to the 29-year-old's game that has been honed over time, and an asset that the Arsenal target can improve with the right coaching. 

 

Supporters are hoping this development comes at the Emirates as Arsenal look to add another central midfielder before the transfer window closes next week. It's possible that the Gunners would need to make Caicedo their club-record signing to convince Brighton to sell the Ecuadorian, yet if he helps Arsenal to the title, then a hefty fee would be worth it, especially as Caicedo has the potential to dominate Premier League midfields for years to come.

Why Caicedo addition could finally end Arsenal's 19-year title wait