Brighton and Hove Albion captain Lewis Dunk has assured Moises Caicedo of the club’s support despite his attempt to force a move to Arsenal in the just concluded January transfer window.
The 21-year-old Ecuador international got his head turned by a potential move to the Emirates in January. Brighton, on the other hand, refused to deal with Arsenal and the other interested clubs. This led the youngster to take to social media to try and force a move by appealing to public sentiment.
In response, the club banished him from the squad until the end of the window as they focused on their own transfer goals as well as the league season. Now that the window is over, there is some awkwardness in the air about Caicedo’s return to the club where he is counted on as a key figure for the rest of the season.
However, he returned to a warm welcome from the Brighton fans last weekend and now, the team captain Lewis Dunk has had to come out to officially assure the youngster that everything that happened in January stayed in January.
Dunk also expressed strong support for the club in their decision to prevent Caicedo from leaving because of their goal of making it into Europe next season, while thanking the fans for their class act of welcoming Caicedo back into the fold.
The Seagulls skipper told talkSPORT: “Obviously it was a difficult situation for him and these things happen in football. It’s not the first and won’t be the last time players at a football club having this going on over their head.
“He’s a young boy and we stick with him. He’s a great lad and obviously a fantastic player. Who knows how long we’ll have him for and we’re grateful to have him for at least the rest of the season and hopefully for longer.
“I think it’s a massive statement from the club, standing their ground. Obviously we’ve sold players over the years to bigger clubs but I think it’s a great statement to show that we want to keep him and I think rightly so.”
Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi also thanked the fans for their welcome of Caicedo and asked them to continue to show support as they chase down European football.
The Italian tactician said: “For Moises, I’m really happy about the answer of our fans. I think together we are stronger – with Moises and with our fans, with their support.”
