Things are going from bad to worse for Erik ten Hag. After a decent pre-season, fan expectations were sky-high but those cam crashing down as Manchester United suffered two ignominious defeats at the hands of Brighton and Brentford.
In those two losses, United have conceded a total of six goals and scored one. The entire defensive unit seems to be at sixes and sevens while the midfield has been non-existent at most times.
In both games, Fred was the first to be hooked and Scott McTominay has fared equally bad. That shows the need to recruit a world-class operator in the centre of the park.
Manchester United have also Moises Caicedo’s name in the list as one of many options for the midfield, as revealed today on HWG podcast. 🚨🔴 #MUFC
Brighton want to keep Caicedo so not an easy deal, in case Man Utd will decide to proceed.
More: https://t.co/1u21npzwpn pic.twitter.com/Pnuyhl1puw
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 16, 2022
United have been trying to get Frenkie de Jong as he was the Dutch boss’ primary choice. But as days pass, the likelihood of United getting their man seems to be dwindling.
A deal with Juventus was agreed for Adrien Rabiot but that soon crumbled due to high wage demands. The latest name to be thrown into the ring is that of Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo.
The Ecuadorian was one of the shining lights in their opening day victory over the Red Devils. His running, pressing and passing impressed Ten Hag and United are currently discussing internally whether to put in an official bid.
Caicedo much more mature
The Ecuador international was first scouted when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was in charge of the club. And there were reports that United were among the clubs interested in acquiring his services.
However, United let that opportunity pass 18 months ago, and instead Brighton swooped in. They secured his signing from Independiente del Valle for only €5million.
And according to journalist Jonathan Shrager, the 20-time English champions seem to think now is the time to recruit the player as he is much better suited to the English game.
His entire family are fans of United and that means the player is likely to accept a move to Manchester if things work out between the two clubs.
“Caicedo’s family are Manchester United fans, and there is a feeling that he would be open to a transfer. People around Moisés feel he is more physically prepared now than when he was first linked to United 18 months ago, but there’s been no approach made by the club at this stage,” Shrager tweeted.
According to 90min, the likes of Chelsea, Liverpool, Barcelona, Juventus and Atletico Madrid are also keeping tabs on Caicedo. Brighton are aware of the increased interest but they are adamant that he will not be sold this summer.
The Seagulls are in a financially strong position, having sold Yves Bissouma and Marc Cucurella this summer for a significant profit. Fans would love such a dynamic signing and United will need to break the bank if they are to land their man but there is very little chance of that happening.
