During Manchester United’s dismal run last season, caretaker manager Ralf Rangnick had pointed out that the club needs heavy investment and up to 10 new players if it is to be competitive again.
New manager Erik ten Hag was disappointed with how slow the club’s early business was, but in the end the club managed to get six players through the door.
One of the priorities was to get a midfielder who could play with the ball, someone who could initiate attacks and control the pace. There were plenty of midfielders attached to United during the summer transfer market.
United needed a midfielder
Ten Hag’s first choice was Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong, but factors such as deferred salaries and the player’s reluctance to leave his ‘dream club’ meant the deal never went through despite both clubs agreeing on a fee. .
After United’s opening day humiliation at the hands of Brighton, Moises Caicedo’s name was linked with the midfielder’s vacant role and there were reports that United were in talks with the player’s entourage.
But in the end, the Red Devils finished off Casemiro from Real Madrid and he has so far started one match and made three substitute appearances as he tries to catch up with life as a Premier League footballer.
????????| In the week after the Rabiot & Arnautovic flop, more than 15 players were offered to the #mufc. Among them were:
• Memphis Depay • Moises Caicedo • Leandro Paredes • Weston McKennie • Yannick Carrasco • Hirving Lozano • Thomas Meunier
[@FabrizioRomano]
— central devils. (@centredevils) September 10, 2022
Brighton are aware of the interest their Ecuadorian star is generating. United, Liverpool, Arsenal and Graham Potter’s Chelsea are looking to get 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 showed interest in signing 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 salary closer to that of other first-team regulars.”
This is despite the fact that the 20-year-old’s current contract “still has almost three years to go”.
Caicedo now a star of PL
In the January 2021 transfer window, then-Brighton manager Potter had sanctioned a deal for the youngster from Independiente del Valle and he is now a first-team star.
Potter had also spoken about the interest the Ecuadorian international was attracting and had mentioned that he could only leave Amex for £100m.
“’In football you never know, but we are quite calm and confident. 100 million pounds? They can try it. It doesn’t surprise me that people are looking at him because he is playing at a fantastic level,” said the England manager.
The Red Devils had the chance to sign him for as little as £4.5m but ultimately chose not to go through with the deal which saw Brighton jump out.
Caicedo himself is a self-confessed United fan and a move would be attractive to him. But it remains to be seen if the Seagulls are ready to part ways with him and if Ten Hag wants him over long-term goal De Jong.
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