‘Real deal’: Reported £5m Everton and West Ham target is ‘more than’ N’Golo Kante

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Ecuador international Moises Caicedo is ‘the real deal’ and has already outgrown comparisons with N’Golo Kante, Tim Vickery told Sky of the reported Everton and West Ham United target.

Chelsea’s World Cup winning Frenchman might be one of the finest midfielders of the modern era, but it seems that 19-year-old Caicedo already has something in his locker that Kante does not.

The teenager has scored six goals this season already; more than Kante has managed in his last 81 appearances for the London giants.

Manchester United have been heavily linked, with TMW claiming that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side are closing in on a deal worth £5 million for the Independiente del Valle star. But there is understandably plenty of competition for arguably South America’s most exciting young midfielder.

Everton are also in the race, according to Diario Extra.

This will not come as a shock to PSV or AZ Alkmaar fans, given that Toffees director Marcel Brands has a history when it comes to spotting talented youngsters on the other side of the Atlantic, bringing a fresh-faced Hirving Lozano, Santiago Arias and Sergio Romero to the Eredivisie earlier in his career.

West Ham, meanwhile, held talks in December about a deal that would see Caicedo reinforce an already iron-clad Hammers midfield (Transfer Window Podcast).

While the pesky issue of a work permit will need to be overcome, £5 million feels like a bargain in today’s market.

“The real deal. He’s already much more than promise, he’s a reality. He’s the first player born in the 21st century to score a goal in South America’s World Cup qualifiers,” South American expert Vickery explained, comparing Caicedo to the dearly-departed Manchester City legend Colin Bell.

“I don’t want to say Caicedo is going to be as good as Colin Bell, but Moises Caicedo is in that kind of mould – a box-to-box midfielder who makes football look easy.

“A year ago, he was saying Kante was his role model. He’s already more than that, he already offers more in the final third (than Kante). Strong, quick, intelligent, cool, he really does look like the genuine article.”