When asked to name one player who had surprised him at the Qatar World Cup, Spain and Barcelona playmaker Pedri was spoiled for choice.
He could have opted for Josko Gvardiol; Croatia’s man in the mask living up to his ‘best defender in the world’ moniker. Perhaps he thought about mentioning Morocco’s indefatigable Sofyan Amrabat, or Japan’s Ritsu Doan; putting the ‘super’ in ‘supersub’.
Instead, Pedri took the opportunity to highlight a player who, less than two years after joining Brighton and Hove Albion from Ecuadorian football, has seen his market value rise from £4 million to £70 million (The Sun).
“The one I’ve seen who has most surprised me was the one from Ecuador; Moises Caicedo,” Pedri said on the XBuyer YouTube channel.
“(Caicedo is) very good. He’s top. I like him a lot.”
Pedri’s not the only one.
Brighton’s Moises Caicedo is a man in demand
Manchester United and Chelsea have both placed Caicedo on their respective wishlists, despite his rapidly rising price-tag. Newcastle too (The Sun). After Pervis Estupinan, Marc Cucurella, Alexis MacAllister, Yves Bissouma and co, the masterful 21-year-old is another success story for Brighton’s outstanding recruitment department. Is there a finer club in the Premier League when it comes to identifying, and then polishing, rough diamonds?
Liverpool are also big fans of Caicedo. Aggressive and athletic, tenacious yet highly-technical; if you were to hire a fleet of world-leading scientists to design the perfect Jurgen Klopp midfielder, he’d look a little like Moises Caicedo.
According to Sky reporter Florian Plettenberg, however, Caicedo is only an ‘alternative’ to Liverpool’s top target, Jude Bellingham. And with confidence growing that Borussia Dortmund’s beating heart will be wearing red in 2023, per ESPN, Liverpool’s interest in Caicedo could remain just that. Nothing more than interest.
Argentine publication La Capital, meanwhile, reports that Liverpool have also agreed a deal to bring in Enzo Fernandez from Benfica. Talks are underway with Morocco enforcer Sofyan Amrabat too (Plettenberg and FootMercato). Amrabat, who shares more in common with Caicedo than either Bellingham or Fernandez, could be snapped up for around half of the Ecuadorian’s £70 million price-tag too.
That ‘Premier League premium’ is certainly alive and well.
Liverpool are prioritising other options
Newcastle boss Eddie Howe, then, will be watching Liverpool’s market manoeuvres with a keen eye. Land Bellingham, Fernandez and/or Amrabat, and one of Newcastle’s biggest challengers for Caicedo will be out of contention.
“He’s going to be a top player. He’s only 21,” Newcastle legend Alan Shearer told the BBC ahead of Ecuador’s 2-0 World Cup opening day victory over Qatar last month.
“He can do a little bit of everything. He’s athletic, he can tackle, he can pass, he can read the game (and) scores one or two goals.”
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