Manchester United will ‘wait and see what happens’ before deciding whether to pursue Moises Caicedo or not, according to journalist Dean Jones.
The Red Devils were linked with a move for the Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder in the summer but brought in Christian Eriksen and Casemiro instead to ease their woes in the middle of the park.
What is the latest news involving Caicedo?
Brighton snapped up Caicedo in a £4.5 million deal from Ecuadorian side Independiente del Valle in January 2021 after he was previously scouted by United.
The 20-year-old was then sent out on loan to Belgian outfit Beerschot on loan in August of the same year for six months before returning to the Amex Stadium where he has continued to impress.
A recent report from The Mirror claims that the Seagulls are preparing a new contract offer for Caicedo despite his existing deal still having three years left to run.
And that’s because the likes of United, Liverpool and Arsenal are all believed to be closely monitoring his progress, while new Chelsea manager Graham Potter, who signed the South American for Brighton, is also a big admirer.
In fact, Potter even suggested that Caicedo could be worth up to £100m when he was quizzed about reports that a £42m offer had arrived for him in the previous transfer window.
What has Jones said about Caicedo?
Jones believes that a move for Caicedo will not be at the forefront of the United hierarchy’s mind at this moment in time following the arrivals of Casemiro and Eriksen.
He told GiveMeSport: “Brighton will do all they can to tie him down. But we know that United were one of the clubs that weighed up the option of signing him in the window just gone.
“Because of Casemiro and Eriksen, I don't think it's something they're having to think about right now. They'll just wait and see what happens in the next few months.”
Who could Caicedo replace at Man Utd?
One player who Caicedo could replace should he make the switch to United is Scott McTominay.
As per FBref, the Ecuador international has made 0.68 key passes, 3.39 progressive passes and 1.54 passes into the final third of the pitch per 90 minutes so far this season compared to McTominay’s tallies of 0.19, 2.22 and 2.04 respectively.
And Caicedo has also been outperforming the box-to-box dynamo defensively, making 2.54 tackles, 5.08 successful pressures and 1.54 interceptions compared to McTominay’s totals of 2.04, 4.81 and 1.48.
United manager Erik ten Hag may be tempted to revive his interest in Caicedo in January or next summer, therefore, bolstering his midfield even further.