Moises Caicedo is quickly becoming one of the most talked-about players in the Premier League, and several teams, including Manchester United, are keeping a close eye on the situation at Brighton & Hove Albion in order to sign the player.

After having signed for Albion for a pitiful £4.5 million on the deadline day of the 2021 winter transfer window, the Seagulls could be set to seismically eclipse that sum with interest from the likes of Liverpool, Chelsea, and even the Red Devils, despite the player having a reported £85 million price tag.

It is believed that Brighton would part for a less lucrative sum, with The Sun recently regarding his worth around £70 million, but with United missing out on the player last year when he ultimately decided to sign a deal with the Seagulls, the astronomical balloon in value is a reminder of the difficulties experienced throughout the past few years in the transfer market.

United is one of the most lavish organizations in international football, and as such, they have the financial wherewithal to fork over the huge sum of money that would be necessary to entice the 21-year-old player away from the AMEX Stadium.

This season, Caicedo has been an essential piece in the Brighton club, starting all 14 Premier League matches from his rampaging position in the center. He has been an integral part of Brighton’s success.

And his achievements at the club level earned him a starring role in Ecuador’s 2022 World Cup squad, where the South American outfit valiantly fought for ascension to the knockout phase but were ultimately beaten by Senegal in the culminating group fixture. And his accomplishments at the club level earned him a starring role in Ecuador’s 2022 World Cup squad.

In the game, which Albion ultimately lost by a score of 2-1, the Albion ace scored a goal that was expertly taken to restore parity before the 2021 AFCON champions responded with their own goals and emerged victorious.

According to Sofascore, the central engine finished that match with a rating of 7.0. In addition to scoring a goal, he finished that match by completing 79% of his passes and winning three of his six ground duels.

And according to FBref, Caicedo is ranked in the top 15% for tackles and 16% for blocks versus positional peers in Europe’s main five leagues this season. He also has a completion percentage of 85.5% with his passing.

These numbers are encouraging for his future career, and at the age of 21, he has plenty of time to develop into a powerful force inside the game in Europe.

Should he sign with the Red Devils, the international player with 28 caps would most certainly continue this progression with them and might possibly take over the role that Brazilian midfielder Fred currently plays in the club.

Caicedo would be a significant boost for Manchester United, who have plenty of room to continue their ascent to the top of the league. Fred, who was brought in from Shakhtar Donetsk in 2018 for a cost in the region of £52 million, has been a troublesome presence in Manchester ever since his move.

This season in the Premier League, Fred has only managed to achieve a rating of 6.71, winning only 33% of his duels and failing to register an average of 1.0 across all defensive metrics.

In hindsight, Caicedo has been significantly more reliable, as evidenced by the fact that he has earned a rating of 7.12, had 3.1 tackles, and 1.4 interceptions while winning 58% of his duels.

United should make every effort to acquire Caicedo, who was once referred to as a “crown jewel” by Ecuadorian football historian Enrico Castro-Montes; for far too many years, the club has teetered on the brink of success, and the time has come to take decisive action. Despite the lucrative price, United should make every effort to acquire Caicedo.