Laura Woods summed up the feelings of Arsenal fans with a comical reaction to the latest news over the club's pursuit of Moises Caicedo.
Mikel Arteta has made the Brighton midfielder one of his prime targets as he bids to bring reinforcements into his squad this summer, and came close to signing Caicedo in January before the midfielder opted to sign a new deal with the Seagulls. That hasn't deterred Arteta from another approach, with the Ecuadorian reportedly agreeing personal terms with the club.
But Chelsea are also are in the race for the 21-year-old, with new boss Mauricio Pochettino set to embark on a rebuild of his own ahead of the 2023/24 campaign. And Arsenal fans will be all too wary of fighting it out with the Blues for signings, after their London rivals hijacked their negotiations to sign Ukrainian forward Mykhailo Mudryk.
And famous Arsenal supporter Woods, 35, seemingly had a feeling of deja vu when she sifted through the latest football rumours on her TalkSport Breakfast show on Tuesday: “I’ve got another Chelsea one, apparently they’re keen on Moises Caicedo. Oh for god’s sake…” she said.
Co-host Ally McCoist chipped in with: “We’re just stripping Brighton of every player they’ve got, it’s terrible," before an anxious Woods asked talkSPORT chief football correspondent Alex Crook: “How likely is that one to go through?”
To her horror, Crook replied: “I think it’s quite likely." Lost for words, Woods then covered her face with a piece of paper, ensuring YouTube viewers were unable to see her expression, although she did appear to be smiling behind her emergency mask.
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Woods has spent much of the last few weeks defending her beloved Gunners, amid accusations that lost their 'bottle' under the pressure of the title race. But her latest reaction suggests concern over the club's lack of power in the transfer market.
And what could strengthen Chelsea's position is their reported willingness to offer a swap deal for Caicedo. Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi has admitted his key man is now likely to leave this summer, and the Daily Mail have reported that Chelsea are planning to make a player-plus-cash offer for the star.
Levi Colwill is currently on loan there from Stamford Bridge, with his impressive defensive displays leading to a £30 million bid from Brighton last week. However, the Blues hierarchy rejected that offer with Pochettino an admirer of Colwill, who at just 20, is set to feature in his long term plans.
