Arsenal, Chelsea, or Man Utd? Where next for Brighton star Caicedo?
The race for Moises Caicedo is really hotting up. Arsenal had hoped to strike a deal for the Brighton man in January, but were rebuffed in their efforts to secure the Ecuadorian's services. However, the Seagulls are resigned to losing one of their midfield stars this summer, with the Gunners, along with Chelsea and Manchester United, among those interested in the 21-year-old.
Here, we take a look at where next for Caicedo, with the three Premier League powerhouses set to thrash it out for the young ball winner.
Given their long-standing interest in Caicedo, it isn't a surprise that Arsenal remain heavily linked with a move for the Ecuador international. The Gunners are set to undergo a minor-revamp this summer having missed out on the Premier League title to Manchester City by just five points, while a return to the Champions League means they need the strength in depth to compete on multiple fronts.
Declan Rice is a top midfield target for Arsenal, but with Manchester City muscling in on the West Ham skipper, the Gunners will look for a swift resolution in their quest to sign Caicedo. Granit Xhaka is set for a Bundesliga return this summer, while Arsenal are prepared to listen to offers for Thomas Partey, so they do need to sign at least one central midfielder in the off-season.
Only Rodri (187) and Rice (173) won possession in the midfield third more times than Caicedo (142) in the Premier League last season, while the latter was one of only two players, along with Fulham's Joao Palhinha (147), to register triple figures for tackles, making 100 exactly. Even if the do manage to convince Rice to move to the Emirates rather than the Etihad, Arsenal should still go all out to land Caicedo this summer. Sign both, and their midfield is set for years to come.
Chelsea are in the midst of cleaning house. N'Golo Kante, Kalidou Koulibaly and Tiemoue Bakayoko have left, while Hakim Ziyech, Kai Havertz and Edouard Mendy are expected to follow suit. Christopher Nkunku has joined from RB Leipzig, but the Blues need more if they are to better their 12th-placed finish last season.
Club-record signing Enzo Fernandez needs a midfield partner, too, and Caicedo would be the perfect fit. That Chelsea were keen on ball-winning machine Manuel Ugarte earlier this month highlights the type of midfielder they are seeking to sign this summer in order to maximise their investment in Fernandez.
That's not to say Fernandez isn't a capable ball winner, but rather his talents are better served with a designated battler alongside him. With Mauricio Pochettino expected to set up his Chelsea side in a 4-2-3-1, a Caicedo-Fernandez midfield partnership at the base of the midfield could work perfectly.
With Casemiro and Christian Eriksen currently Erik ten Hag's go-to central midfield partnership in the Dutchman's favoured 4-2-3-1 setup, Moises Caicedo wouldn't come in as first choice at Old Trafford. That being said, the duo are now the wrong side of 30, and in the former's absence, Manchester United looked far less solid defensively.
As such, United would be looking to the long-term were they to make a move for Caicedo, and with Adrien Rabiot set to sign a new deal with Juventus, it stands to reason that they are courting the Brighton star with a view to beefing up their midfield. Could there be more to their interest in Caicedo than meets the eye, however?
It's well documented that United's main midfield target this summer is Mason Mount. Both he and Caicedo are completely different profiles, but with Chelsea keen on the latter, United's interest in the Seagulls star could be a ploy to drive Mount's asking price down. That being said, United have already passed up the opportunity to sign Caicedo once before, and may live to regret doing so a second time.
