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Prior to Moises Caicedo joining Brighton and Hove Albion, Newcastle United actually missed out on the midfielder.
There will inevitably be rumours about Brighton players and the Magpies.
In addition to signing Dan Burn away from the Seagulls in January, the Magpies also persuaded technical director Dan Ashworth to move to St James’ Park.
Caicedo may be the most credible Brighton to Newcastle rumour in recent memory, despite links to players like Leandro Trossard and Robert Sanchez.
The Mirror reported in October that Caicedo was a target for Newcastle but would cost a hefty £85 million to acquire.
Ashworth is familiar with Caicedo because he was with Brighton when they acquired him from Independiente del Valle for just £4.5 million in 2021.
Though the 21-year-old is now a Premier League superstar, Brighton anticipates making a sizable profit if they decide to sell him.
Now, according to The Sun, Brighton’s asking price is more like £70 million.
It’s also claimed that Manchester United and Newcastle both made attempts to contact Caicedo at Independiente del Valle in order to try and sign him.
Brighton had already set up a deal, so both clubs were left out of the deal.
The irony for Newcastle is that Ashworth was a crucial component of that move, and they now have to pay a significant premium over what they could have paid.
Caicedo has excelled not only in the Premier League, where Jamie Redknapp praised him as “magnificent,” but also at the World Cup for Ecuador, where he has put on strong performances.
We don’t really anticipate a deal happening in January because it doesn’t seem likely that Newcastle will make any significant acquisitions.
However, Caicedo is a player to pay close attention to for the upcoming summer, particularly if Newcastle makes it to the European football stage.
