The Brighton midfielder would play a similar role.
Manchester Unitedhave opened talks withBrighton & Hove Albionover the signing ofMoises Caicedo, according totalkSPORT,withChelseastill ɾєρօɾτedly leading the way.
Manchester United transfer news – will they sign Moises Caicedo?
With talks ɾєρօɾτedlyfailingto reach a positive outcome so far with Chelsea to signMason Mount, Manchester United have seemingly been forced to turn their attention elsewhere, potentially taking them towards Caicedo.
Of course, the irony is that Chelsea ɾєρօɾτedly lead the way in the chase to sign the Brighton midfielder this summer, but it is the Blues who could have welcomed the Red Devils into the race by pricing them out of a move for Mount.
The 21-year-old looks to be valued at around£80mor above by his club, so any Ԁєɑł would come at a hefty price forErik ten Hagand co, who haveɾєρօɾτedlybeen given a budget of £120m this summer, unless they move players on.
There’s still a long summer ahead, however, with plenty of twists to come in the Caicedo saga.
Would Moises Caicedo mirror Declan Rice?
There’s not just an argument that Caicedo can provide the same quality asDeclan Rice, there’s evidence that he is even better than the England international in some departments.
On the ball, the Brighton man distributes far more often than hisWest Ham Unitedcounterpart, making more passes last season, according toFBref.
The difference is that Caicedo is more risk-free in his passing range, opting to recycle the ball more often than progressing it.
Last season, the Manchester United target made less progressive passes than Rice, but was dispossessed fewer times. That said, as perFBref, they are noted as similar players, perhaps an ode to their position on the pitch and starring qualities defensively.
Such traits would suit Ten Hag’s side, who aren’t in need of a midfielder who can make things happen going forward. After all, they’ve already got that in the form ofBruno Fernandes.
What they need is a balanced player between Fernandes andCasemiro; a player who is safe on the ball, and quick to recover the ball when without it. Given Caicedo’s 248 ball recoveries last season, this is a role that he could play.
Speaking about the quality of the Brighton man, Garth Crooks wrote in his BBC column, viaCaught Offside, after the Seagulls defeatedArsenal: “Arsenal wanted to buy Brighton’s Moises Caicedo and after this performance against the Gunners I can see why.
“Following his encounter with Gabriel Martinelli you could see this is a player from the old school and he’s going places.
“They made two bids for the Ecuador international this season and it caused a terrible fuss. Brighton refused the offers and they were sizable.
“The player, naturally upset, took some time to get over the disappointment but to his credit settled his differences with the Seagulls and continued to produce outstanding performances, notwithstanding this extraordinary trouncing of the Gunners on their own turf.”
The 21-year-old was also praised on Twitter, with Football Talent Scoutsayingback in August: “Moisés Caicedo’s market value/asking price will be astronomical next summer. And he’ll be worth every penny of it. Machine Man. He’s 20 by the way. Twenty years old.”
So, although United look set to miss out on theArsenal boundRice, Caicedo wouldn’t exactly be a Ԁιȿɑρρօιɴτιɴɢ alternative.
