Arsenal look set to try and complete Mikel Arteta’s ideal midfield in the summer transfer window, but he nearly accomplished this last year.
Summer signing Declan Rice has proven to be the perfect addition alongside captain Martin Odegaard, but questions remain over who the final piece of the midfield puzzle should be.
Jorginho, Thomas Partey, Kai Havertz, Fabio Vieira and Emile Smith Rowe have all appeared in the midfield three alongside the pair, as well as Leandro Trossard, with mixed results.
Arsenal’s best shape has perhaps come in recent weeks with Partey at the base and Rice pushing forward, but the Ghanian’s injury problems have meant that he cannot be relied upon to continue this next season.
Martin Zubimendi of Real Sociedad has been linked, but it has now been confirmed that Arteta’s original plan was to add Moises Caicedo to his midfield alongside Rice.
Arsenal wanted to sign both Moises Caicedo and Declan Rice
Arsenal saw several bids for Caicedo knocked back by Brighton in January last year, before they then signed Jorginho, with Rice then arriving in the summer.
However, journalist Charles Watts has now revealed in his Daily Briefing that Arsenal still wanted Caicedo after the failed pursuit, and that the idea was to have both Caicedo and Rice join in one go.
“Caicedo was a player they really wanted and were willing to pay big money for. But they weren’t going to pay what Brighton were asking for so they walked away after seeing multiple bids rejected in January, 2023,” he explained.
“Obviously they then went and signed Declan Rice the following summer, but as far as I’m aware they still would have gone for the West Ham captain even if they had managed to get Caicedo in the summer. The plan was always to try and get both of them, not one.”
Was Moises Caicedo the solution to completing Arsenal’s midfield?
Caicedo moved to Chelsea for a British record £115m last summer, but has struggled since. He is not the only player to do so at Stamford Bridge in recent years, but his performance levels in midfield have been far from what Jorginho has offered Arsenal.
There is an argument to suggest that Caicedo would have thrived in a more stable environment at Arsenal, as shown by the rejuvenation of Kai Havertz.
READ MORE: Arsenal’s 25 most expensive transfers and record signings of all time
Jorginho ranks in the top 5% of European midfielders for progressive passes, a necessary function for the deep midfield role under Arteta, and Caicedo ranks significantly lower than him in this regard.
Given the substantial fee Chelsea paid for the Ecuadorian, Arsenal may be better off overall with Jorginho, who looks set to stay and sign a new contract, and they will hope that any midfield addition this summer will prove to be better value than Caicedo.