Newcastle United have reportedly entered the transfer race for Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Moises Caicedo, who starred for Ecuador at the World Cup.
Fabrizio Romano has stated in his exclusive column for Caught Offside that Newcastle United are one of the clubs closely tracking the progress of Brighton enforcer Moises Caicedo, who will reportedly cost them between £60 and £70 million.
Transfer guru Romano told Caught Offside, “On midfielders, they are following Moises Caicedo for sure, but at the moment there are no negotiations at all with Newcastle. Many top clubs are following him closely.”
The Ecuador international only moved to Brighton in January 2021 and has made just 25 appearances for the south coast club. Nevertheless, the 21-year-old midfielder has already been one of the breakout talents of the Premier League season and has been one of the Seagulls’ standout performers so far this season, but the World Cup allowed him to display his ferocious industry and all-action style on a grand stage.
Indeed, he carried that fine form into the World Cup for his country and was Ecuador’s best and most important player despite his tender age. And while the Ecuador international’s goal against Senegal was not enough for his country to advance to the round of 16 of the World Cup, his stellar performances have certainly raised several eyebrows among the Premier League elites, who are now chasing after his signature.
Newcastle United, for one, wanted the Ecuador international before his switch to the Amex Stadium. The cash-rich Magpies remain interested in signing him and believe that they stand a better chance of getting a deal over the line, having snapped up technical director Dan Ashworth from the Seagulls earlier this year.
Ashworth was the one who scouted and convinced Caicedo to move the Amex, beating the likes of Manchester United to his signing thanks to a top-notch pitch and a clear route to first-team integration.
Caicedo is an industrious midfielder blessed with technical ability and football intelligence, and those are attributes that would surely appeal to Eddie Howe, who loves to employ a high-intensity style with a suffocating midfield press.
His versatility means the Magpies can also use him in a reserved, tough-tackling midfielder role, which would allow Bruno Guimaraes to have more say in the final third of the pitch. That said, Caicedo will not come cheap by any means, with the Seagulls likely to demand a record-breaking fee reported to be in the region of £60 million to £70 million for their star midfielder.
Furthermore, the Toon Army will also have to fend off interests from the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea, who both are in the running for the 21-year-old’s services, with the latter holding an upper hand owing to the presence of former Brighton head coach Graham Potter.
Newcastle could certainly afford it after their wealthy Saudi owners expressed a strong desire to improve the squad so that it can fight with the top four, but recent reports suggests they are unlikely to splash the cash on an individual acquisition in the January transfer window, and will continue to pertain with their long-term investment plan in order to comply with the Financial Fair play regulations.
