Moises Caicedo has appeared to post a plea to leave Brighton, less than 12 hours after it was revealed that the midfielder was planning to force through a move to either Arsenal or Chelsea before next week”s deadline.

The Seagulls star has attracted interest from a host of clubs across Europe during the transfer window, with a £60 million offer from the Gunners the latest bid tabled.

While it is understood that Brighton are keen for the 21-year-old to stay at the club, Caicedo posted a message on his Instagram account on Friday evening, begging the Seagulls to let him leave.

It read, “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. I always play football with a smile and with heart.

“I am the youngest of 10 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. 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.”

It’s understood that Brighton laughed off Chelsea’s bid of £55 million earlier this window, before rejecting Arsenal’s recent offer. The Seagulls want £80 million for Caicedo if they are to let him leave this transfer window.

The player, however, is concerned he may not get the chance to join Arsenal or Chelsea in the summer, with the clubs set to go head-to-head for West Ham captain Declan Rice at the end of the season.

It is understood Caicedo has not ruled out putting in a transfer request to force a move, but Brighton are under no pressure to sell having allowed Leandro Trossard to join Arsenal for £21 million last week.

Caicedo, who has 28 caps for his country, is under contract until 2025. He joined Brighton in 2021 for £4.5 million from Independiente del Valle in his homeland.

Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi, meanwhile, said of Caicedo, “I think he is a good guy; he is only focused on Brighton. I hope he can stay with us until the end of the season. In my opinion, that is the best solution for him and us.”

Speaking earlier this week, Caicedo echoed De Zerbi and insisted he was only concentrating on playing for Brighton and continuing their impressive season which sees them in sixth place.

He said, “I am focused on Brighton. I am here, I’m playing every day. Things from outside don’t trouble me, nor does it take that focus away, because I’m focused only on here. I handle [the speculation] well. You hear rumours here and there, but I only try to be focused on the club where I am now, the club that opened the doors for me to be playing every week.”

The post was also shared on his Twitter account, and has accumulated over 150,000 likes across both platforms. Caicedo is thought to have changed agents as recently as earlier this week.

• A Daily Mail report