Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Moises Caicedo has revealed that his "dream" is to play for Real Madrid.
The 21-year-old was the subject of two bids from Arsenal worth £60m and £70m respectively during the January transfer window, but the Seagulls were reluctant to part ways with the Ecuadorian.
Despite publicly expressing his desire to leave Brighton and join the Gunners, Caicedo eventually stayed put at the Amex Stadium before putting pen to paper on a new long-term contract last month, keeping him at the club until June 2027.
After the winter window slammed shut, Caicedo's agent Manuel Sierra criticised Brighton for blocking the youngster from joining Premier League leaders Arsenal.
Caicedo himself recently acknowledged that his failed move to Arsenal was "tough" to take, telling The Telegraph: "I'm sure I'm going to have many more opportunities. That's why I continue to do things well. [But] it was tough.
"At the beginning when I didn't end up going, lots of people would make fun of me on Instagram. People treated me badly. I didn't check my social media because it would hurt me to see things.
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"I'd seen a lot of Arsenal before knowing that there was a possibility of me signing for them. I watched them and I liked them because they have very young, talented players and some stars but they always have that mindset of wanting more.
"I just want to have a really good season with Brighton now, to finish off the season well and play really well and then we'll see what happens next season."
Although Caicedo has penned fresh terms with Brighton, Arsenal are believed to been planning to reignite their interest in the midfielder this summer.
However, Mikel Arteta's side could face competition from Spanish giants Real Madrid, who Caicedo has expressed his desire to join in the future and play for in the Champions League.
"I like Real Madrid. It was always my dream to play for Real Madrid," Caicedo said in an interview with Carrusel.
"Now I am doing things very well and why not one day play there and win the Champions League with Real Madrid."
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Reports in Spain say that Caicedo is not currently on Real Madrid's list of transfer targets, providing a boost for the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United who have all been credited with an interest.
However, Los Blancos are expected to pursue at least one, if not two, new midfielders in the near future, with 37-year-old Luka Modric and 33-year-old Toni Kroos in the latter stages of their careers.
Both midfielders are out of contract this summer, but it seems increasingly likely that the duo will pen fresh terms ahead of next season, with Kroos recently revealing that he is close to signing a new deal.
The summer of 2024 could therefore be a period whether Real Madrid step up their interest in a new midfielder, although whether Caicedo has already left Brighton by then remains to be seen.
Caicedo has established himself as a star player at the Amex Stadium, helping Roberto De Zerbi and co challenge for the European qualification spots in the Premier League this season.
The Ecuador international has made the joint-second most tackles (89) in the Premier League this term and has contributed with two goals and three assists in 43 games across all competitions since joining Brighton in February 2021.
Oliver Thomas
