There is optimism aplenty at Arsenal right now despite the failure to secure the signing of Moises Caicedo from divisional rivals Brighton & Hove Albion, but moves must be made to ensure a deal is tied up in the summer...

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Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta attempted to raid the Seagulls once again and fired a succession of bids at the south coast in hopes of securing the Ecuadorian prodigy Caicedo, but Albion's resolve was unwavering.

An initial £60m bid was followed by a £70m offer, both of which fell on deaf ears amid an £80m asking price, and Arsenal instead turned attention towards Chelsea's Jorginho, who was signed for £12m to instil experience and composure into the ranks.

While technical director Edu may see the failure to land priority targets in the shape of Mykhaylo Mudryk and indeed Caicedo as somewhat of a disaster, high-flying Arsenal must nurse their wounds and ensure focus does not slip from the Premier League title race and make the requisite moves to continue talks at the end of the campaign.

"Revelation"

Brighton signed the 21-year-old Caicedo for a paltry £4.5m from his Ecuadorian homeland outfit Independiente del Valle, beating Manchester United to his signature after the Red Devils were credited with an interest in the weeks preceding Albion's swoop.

Since then, he has blossomed into a regular presence in his outfit's side, starting 18 of his team's 19 league matches this term, providing tenacity and composure from the centre for a side that currently occupy sixth place in the Premier League, just seven points behind fourth placed Man United and with a game in hand.

This meteoric ascension up the table is a testament to the club's diligence and accuracy in the transfer market, with an esteemed recruitment team that rarely hit wide of the mark.

And with Caicedo, once heralded as a "revelation" by talent scout Jacek Kulig, in the centre pulling the strings, it is no wonder that some of the division's most prominent outfits have been sniffing around and willing to part with such a lucrative sum of money to land his signature.

As per Sofascore, the 28-cap gem has recorded an average league rating of 7.10 this season, completing 88% of his passes, averaging 1.1 key passes per match, also making 2.9 tackles and 1.4 interceptions per game - illustrating his dynamic approach that indeed sets him a gulf apart from the majority of positional peers plying their trade in the Premier League.

And upon his arrival to English football, South American football writer Tim Vickery waxed lyrical about the calibre of the young gem.

He said: “He is a terrific athlete who makes football look easy. A box-to-box midfielder.

“That kind of box-to-box midfielder that’s very much in the tradition of the England game. Strong, quick, intelligent and cool. He really does look like the genuine article.”

Granted, Arsenal would have reaped the rewards of landing Caicedo for the remainder of the campaign, but the club are in a superb position regardless, five points clear atop the league table and boasting a remarkable crop of superlative young talent.

And with the signing of Chelsea's experienced pass master Jorginho, the centre of park has added the sheen it needed ahead of the business end of the season.

As such, the Gunners should not feel the effects of the missed transfer too strongly, but in order to cement success for years to come, and make up for their late transfer woes, Edu must pull all the punches and secure their man in the summer.