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Transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that only Manchester United were interested in signing Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Moises Caicedo this summer.
Caicedo was notably linked with Liverpool (via the Mirror) towards transfer deadline day. However, Romano has now clarified that no club apart from the Red Devils were keen on bringing in the youngster. He also stated that Brighton considered the player to be unsellable in the final month of the transfer window.
In his exclusive column for CaughtOffside, the Italian journalist said (as quoted by CaughtOffside):
“There’s been a lot of speculation about Moises Caicedo and top Premier League clubs, with talk of further interest in January, so I thought I’d give my understanding of his situation.”
While confirming that United were keen on Caicedo, Romano added that the club's real priority was former Real Madrid midfielder Casemiro. The Red Devils ultimately signed the Brazilian towards the end of the transfer window in a deal worth around £70 million.
Romano added:
“The only club interested this summer was Manchester United. They asked about Caicedo as potential option before signing Casemiro, who was the real and main priority.”
The reliable journalist concluded:
“I’m not sure there will be a price tag for the player in January, as Brighton called him untouchable for the whole month of August.”
Manchester United were linked with Moises Caicedo before he joined Brighton
Manchester United reportedly passed up on the chance to sign Caicedo while the player was still at Independiente del Valle. As per the Express, they withdrew from negotiations, with the Ecuadorian club demanding a transfer fee of £4.5 million for the youngster.
Caicedo joined Brighton in February 2021 and was an unused substitute in his first game against Leicester in the FA Cup the same month. Brighton loaned him out to Beerschot VA in Belgium in August 2021. He returned in January 2022 and was eased into Premier League action by the Seagulls.
The midfielder has since become a crucial piece for Brighton and a fixture in their starting line-up. He put in one of his best performances for the club during a 4-0 rout of Manchester United at the end of last season, where he also scored a goal.
Caicedo added on to that display with another superb performance in midfield as the Seagulls beat the Red Devils 2-1 at Old Trafford this season.
The youngster, who has already won 23 caps for Ecuador at the tender age of 20, has featured in all of his team's Premier League matches this term. Caicedo has played a massive role in Brighton rising to fourth spot in the league standings after six games.
