Arsenal have had an improved bid of £70 million for Moises Caicedo rejected, say reports, with Brighton determined to keep the midfielder until the summer.
The Gunners have made a late push in the January transfer window to bring in the Ecuador international, who has also attracted interest from Chelsea.
But Brighton rejected a £70m bid that would have represented a club record sale on Sunday and remain adamant that he won’t leave this month, according to Sky Sports News.
The mid-season transfer window closes on Tuesday at 11pm and the Gunners have been eager to bolster their Premier League-leading squad, bringing in Jakub Kiwior and Leandro Trossard already this month.
Their efforts to sign Caicedo looked to have paid off when the 21-year-old asked to leave, posting a message on social media to make his feelings clear.
"I am proud to be able to bring in a record transfer fee for Brighton which would allow them to reinvest it and help the club continue to be successful,” Caicedo wrote.
"The fans have taken me into their hearts and they will always be in my heart, so I hope they can understand why I want to take up this magnificent opportunity."
Brighton have resisted bids so far, including an opening £60m offer from Arsenal, and told the youngster to stay away from training until the window has closed.
Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi was asked about the ongoing transfer saga before his side knocked Liverpool out of the FA Cup with a 2-1 win in the fourth round on Sunday.
"Moises is a good guy," De Zerbi told ITV.
"In life, you can make mistakes. There are many solutions for everyone and we will see the best solution for the club, for him and for us."
He added: "We will see what happens tomorrow and the next day. We hope he stays with us until the end of the season, but this is a question of the club and Moises."
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Arsenal have already signed one played from Brighton this month, with winger Leandro Trossard having moved to the Gunners in a £27m deal.
Meanwhile, the Gunners have been linked with Real Valladolid right-back Ivan Fresneda.
And Everton defender Amadou Onana is also interesting the Premier League leaders, according to a report in Belgium.
