Newcastle backed to rival Man Utd, Chelsea for ‘brilliant’ £70m midfielder who now boasts World Cup pedigree

A pundit thinks Newcastle could end up tussling with Manchester United and Chelsea for the signing of Brighton’s Moises Caicedo following his World Cup exploits.

Caicedo has turned himself into a Brighton regular this season, managing 14 Premier League appearances and one goal in that time. Thanks to his impressive performances in England, he was given a starting spot for Ecuador at the World Cup.

He helped Ecuador beat Qatar and draw with the Netherlands, before scoring in the second half in their game against Senegal. However, the South American outfit lost that match 2-1, which cost them their spot in the round of 16.

Caicedo is now back at Brighton and will be aiming to continue his brilliant development there. However, the Seagulls may have to sell him at the end of the season.

Prem giants Man Utd and Chelsea have both begun targeting the 21-year-old in recent weeks. Newcastle are interested in taking him on board too, according to The Sun.

Their report even claims Brighton will hold out for £60-70million when selling Caicedo. This would see Roberto De Zerbi’s team make a huge profit, as Sky Sports state they only had to spend £4.5m when capturing Caicedo last year.

While Man Utd and Chelsea will be at the front of the queue to sign Caicedo, former goalkeeper Paul Robinson thinks Newcastle stand a chance as they can pay ‘top dollar’.

When asked about Caicedo’s colossal price tag during an interview with Football Insider, Robinson said: “Look, a player’s price is determined by the bidders.

Moises Caicedo labelled ‘a brilliant young player’

“Caicedo is a brilliant young player. He is only going to get better.

“I am not surprised that top clubs are looking at him. If the top clubs want him his price is going to be very high. I can see him going for £60-70m.

“If Newcastle are going to be in a bidding war with a Man United or a Chelsea then they are going to have to pay top dollar. All of those clubs can pay the high prices though. Brighton will hold out for the best possible fee.

“In truth, I don’t think Caicedo has done enough to warrant going for £70million. But a club will pay that for him. This is the top level of English football.”

Caicedo has certainly proved he has the ability to cut it in the Prem. He is only 21 years old but is already causing opposition midfielders all sorts of problems with his energy and vision.

Newcastle have a long-term project and signing Caicedo would fit right into it. He has the potential to become a Champions League star and that is the level Newcastle hope to reach.

The Magpies spent £60m on striker Alexander Isak, so maybe they will be up for parting with £70m to get Caicedo.

Newcastle fans may initially have reservations about spending so much money on a player with relatively little Prem experience. But now he has World Cup pedigree, which should help him big time.

Meanwhile, a report claims Newcastle are rivalling Tottenham for the signing of an Inter Milan defender.