During Manchester United’s dismal run last season, interim manager Ralf Rangnick had pointed out that the club needs heavy investment and as many as 10 new players if they are to be competitive again.
New manager Erik ten Hag was disappointed with the club’s initial sluggish business but in the end, the club did manage to get six players through the door.
One of the priorities was getting a ball-playing midfielder, someone who could initiate attacks and control the tempo. There were a multitude of midfielders linked with United during the summer transfer window.
United needed a midfielder
Ten Hag’s first choice was Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong but factors such as deferred wages, the player’s reluctance to move from his ‘dream club’ meant that the deal never got realised despite both clubs agreeing a fee.
After United’s opening day humiliation at the hands of Brighton, Moises Caicedo‘s name was linked with the vacant midfielder’s role and there were reports that United were in talks with the player’s entourage.
But in the end, the Red Devils ended up getting Casemiro from Real Madrid and he has so far started one game and made three substitute appearances as he tries to get up to speed with life as a Premier League footballer.
🚨🌕| During the week following the failure of Rabiot & Arnautovic, more than 15 players were offered to #mufc. Among them were:
• Memphis Depay
• Moises Caicedo
• Leandro Paredes
• Weston McKennie
• Yannick Carrasco
• Hirving Lozano
• Thomas Meunier— centredevils. (@centredevils) September 10, 2022
Brighton are aware of the interest their Ecuadorian star is generating with United, Liverpool, Arsenal and Graham Potter’s Chelsea all looking to acquire his services next summer.
And according to The Mirror, “Brighton are ready to sit down and discuss a new deal with midfielder Moises Caicedo after several clubs registered an interest in taking him over the summer.
“The Seagulls will now look to reward the progress he has made this year with a package that will bring his wages closer in line with other first-team regulars.”
This is despite the fact that the 20-year-old’s current deal “still has almost three years to run.”
Caicedo now a PL star
Back in the January transfer window of 2021, then-Brighton manager Potter had sanctioned a deal for the Independiente del Valle youngster and he is now a first-team star.
Potter had also spoken about the interest the Ecuador international was attracting and had mentioned that he could only leave the Amex for £100 million.
“’In football you never know, but we are quite calm and confident. £100m? They can try. It doesn’t surprise me that people are looking at him because he is playing at a fantastic level,” the English manager was quoted as saying.
The Red Devils had the chance to sign him for as low as £4.5million but they ultimately chose not to go ahead with the deal which saw Brighton pounce.
Caicedo himself is a self-confessed United fan and a move would appeal to him. But it remains to be seen whether the Seagulls are ready to part ways with him and whether Ten Hag wants him instead of long-term target De Jong.
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