Moises Caicedo previously presented a dramatic plea on Instagram to leave Brighton after a significant bid from Arsenal was rejected.
Before his record-breaking £115million move to Chelsea in the summer of 2023, Mikel Arteta's side had shown keen interest in the midfielder during the January transfer window.
Eager to bolster his squad, Arteta approved two substantial offers for the Ecuadorian talent, with figures of £65million and £70million put forward, only for Brighton to swiftly turn them down.
Despite having less than 30 appearances for Brighton at that stage, Caicedo had made a significant impact, and he didn't shy away from expressing his desire to move on from the club.
In an unprecedented step, Caicedo addressed Brighton's chairman Tony Bloom directly on Instagram, initially thanking him before making an emotional appeal for his departure following the rejection of the Gunners' opening bid.
"I am grateful to Mr. Bloom and Brighton for giving me the chance to come to the Premier League and I feel I have always done my best for them," Caicedo posted.
"I always play football with a smile and with heart. I am the youngest of ten siblings from a poor upbringing in Santa Domingo in Ecuador. My dream is always to be the most decorated player in the history of Ecuador.
Moises Caicedo made an outrageous claim after his Chelsea side were beaten by Arsenal
Mikel Arteta wanted to field a midfield duo of Declan Rice and Moises Caicedo at Arsenal (Image: Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images)
"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.
"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."
Yet despite his heartfelt plea, Brighton held firm, keeping Caicedo for the remainder of the season. Meanwhile, his Instagram account 'moises_caicedo55' temporarily vanished from the social media platform, only to re-emerge later, reports the Mirror.
Moises Caicedo and Nicolas Jackson of Chelsea pose for a photograph with the UEFA Conference League trophy after their team's victory in the UEFA Conference League Final 2025 between Real Betis Balompie and Chelsea FC
The Ecuadorian earned the first trophy of his career when Chelsea won the UEFA Conference League (Image: Chelsea FC via Getty Images)
In what became his final season with Brighton, Caicedo found himself at the centre of an intense transfer battle later that summer. While Liverpool's hefty £110m offer was accepted by the Seagulls but it was Chelsea who ultimately secured his signature with a landmark British transfer fee of £115m, including add-ons.
At Stamford Bridge, Caicedo quickly became a mainstay of the team, being the only Chelsea player to feature from the start in all 38 league matches this season.
He capped off an impressive campaign by notching a goal in the decisive 4-1 victory over Real Betis that clinched the UEFA Conference League title.
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Arsenal Manager Mikel Arteta, Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Jesus with the Arsenal Therapy Dog Win during the Arsenal Men's team group shoot at London Colney on September 18, 2023
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