According to manager Roberto de Zerbi, supporters of Brighton and Hove Albion shouldn’t “criticise” Moises Caicedo for requesting a transfer.

The 21-year-old Ecuadorian midfielder was the subject of two Arsenal offers, the second of which was for roughly £70 million.

In an open letter, he expressed his desire to leave Brighton. In response, the club advised him not to participate in training until after the transfer deadline.

De Zerbi remarked, “I want them [the fans] to support him.

I do not want them to be critical of him. Moises is a lovely man who is loved by me and the staff at Brighton. He being with us through the end of the season makes me very delighted.

Since moving to Brighton for £4 million from Independiente del Valle in February 2021, Caicedo has made 30 appearances and scored twice.

After being left out of the squad for last weekend’s FA Cup victory over Liverpool, he is ready to join De Zerbi’s side when they visit Bournemouth in the Premier League on Saturday with the transfer window closed until the summer.

The former Sassuolo and Shakhtar Donetsk manager continued, “I don’t know if he made a mistake or not but the transfer market is closed and the fans must follow me because I accept responsibility for him.

“They [the fans] have to believe in me if I say something so clearly about Moises. He is adored and revered by the other players.

They were aware of the circumstances since everyone in football is aware that they can occur. There won’t be a problem for anyone if there isn’t one with me.