Journalist Ben Jacobs believes Newcastle United will be a surprise candidate to sign Moises Caicedo, as his value will fall following Arsenal’s pursuit.
Caicedo’s possible departure from Brighton was a hot topic during the January transfer window. One reason for this was the player’s value for someone who had only recently broken into the first team.
Indeed, the midfielder has only played 31 senior games for England.
However, that seems to have been enough for him to be identified as the next big thing. That was reinforced by interest from a number of big sides, and mainly the pursuit of Arsenal.
Indeed, the Gunners reportedly bid for Caicedo twice and were rebuffed both times. The second of those bids was reported at £ 70 million, which was rejected as it was below Brighton’s asking price.
The South coast side will have a big decision to make come the summer. Indeed, interest is not likely to stop and could even be ramped up if Caicedo’s good form continues.
Given their valuation was apparently £ 90 million in January, they will have to decide if they really want to hold out for that sum.
Even the £ 70 million Arsenal bid would’ve gone a long way for a club of their size. However, mid-season when there was little time to scout an apt replacement, it makes sense as to why they were asking for so much.
Caicedo value could drop
They might need to entertain offers below their asking price soon, anyway. Indeed, CBS journalist Jacobs believes Brighton will find it hard to get a side to pay even the offer they rejected in January.
“I genuinely believe it’s going to be very difficult for Brighton to get £70million for Moises Caicedo in the summer, I think the valuation could easily drop to more like £60-65million and then you start looking at their value for Liverpool to enter the race who didn’t really want to go above that number,” he said during a Twitter Space.
Indeed, the longer Caicedo stays at the club running down his contract, the more chance there is of his price tag dropping. On the other hand, if more sides become interested, Brighton could still hold out for a decent sum.
That’s exactly what Jacobs feels could happen, with Newcastle and Liverpool potentially entering the frame.
“Somebody else who could surprise us with Caicedo as well, Newcastle United might be a team looking for a midfielder and Caicedo might come into the fore, especially if you consider Joelinton is playing in a more advanced role, Jonjo Shelvey has left so Newcastle could be quite active in the market for some kind of central or box to box midfielder as well.”
Caicedo could be pursued by both parties.
Newcastle and Liverpool are both interested in signing Caicedo. In the midst of their poor run, questions have been raised about their current midfield options.
While Jude Bellingham is expected to be the big move this summer, a complete overhaul is possible. If they add the Englishman in addition to Caicedo, the Reds’ midfield would look revitalized and ready to challenge again.
With Newcastle on the rise, the Ecuador midfielder could be a good option for them as well. Joelinton, as Jacobs mentioned, has recently taken on a more advanced role.
If that is to continue – which is a question in itself after Anthony Gordon was bought – pairing Bruno Guimaraes with a quality option will be key to maintaining their status at the top end of the table.
Caicedo is young, and looks like he could be a quality player for years to come. Indeed, he fits the mould of the type of player the Magpies want to recruit.
And while they’re able to spend huge sums, it’s not something they’ve really done yet. As such, they’d surely be happier with pursuing the midfielder if his price does drop.
Leave a Reply