Manchester United have reportedly expressed an interest in Independiente del Valle youngster Moises Caicedo, who is also courted by West Ham United.
According to a report by Daily Record, Manchester United have opened talks with Independiente del Valle over a possible move for Moises Caicedo. The youngster has emerged as the latest target for Ed Woodward in his attempt to plan a “cultural reboot” by signing up and coming talents in the world of football.
Caicedo’s pursuit won’t be a walk in the park for Manchester United, however. Independiente already value their central midfielder at around €6 million while they are also demanding 20% of any future sale. In addition, West Ham United have lodged an inquiry regarding the availability of the 19-year-old in the upcoming January transfer window.
Manchester United’s interest in Caicedo follows up with their trend of signing foreign talents after both Facundo Pellistri and Amad Traore joined the club in the summer. The latter remained at Atalanta during the first half of the 2020/21 campaign but is set to arrive at Old Trafford after the return of the year.
Although neither of these two players are yet to make first-team appearances for the Red Devils, they could add to the depth of the overall squad. In Caicedo’s case, the 19-year-old could hope to emerge as an understudy for the ageing Nemanja Matic and quite possibly a potential replacement for Paul Pogba, who has been linked with a move away from Old Trafford.
The youngster has already made quite an impression in the Ecuadorian top division this year, becoming a mainstay in the Independiente midfield. He has been involved in a total of eight goals in just 30 competitive appearances for the club and was also rewarded with a call-up to the national team in October.
Caicedo has since notched up four appearances for the Ecuador national side, starring in wins over Bolivia, Colombia and Uruguay. So the midfielder is certainly ready to take the next step in his career and ply his trade in the highest level of football.
A January move to Old Trafford seems sensible for all parties involved. He could be following the footsteps of his country’s footballing icon Antonio Valencia, who had made 339 competitive appearances for the Red Devils. The club, however, needs to act swiftly if they are to secure his services amid interest from West Ham.
