Moises Caicedo is once again on Newcastle United’s radar, but it looks like the midfielder is going to cost an absolute fortune.
The Ecuadorian was linked with a move away from Brighton during the January transfer window, with both Arsenal and Chelsea trying to sign him. There was also interest from Newcastle, but the youngster stayed where he was and ended the season with Brighton.
It proved to be a wise decision, with the Seagulls enjoying their best ever Premier League campaign. They finished sixth, and will be in next season’s Europa League.
However, that might not be enough to keep Caicedo at the Amex Stadium. He is once again being linked with a move to St James’ Park, with Eddie Howe keen to sign a midfielder like him.
It has previously been reported that Howe believes Caicedo is ideal for his side, but is he such a good fit that the Magpies should break their transfer record for him?
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Newcastle must pay £80m to sign Moises Caicedo from Brighton
According to TalkSPORT, Brighton want at least £80million for the 21-year-old. They state that Chelsea are very keen, and have turned their attention to him after missing out on Sporting CP’s Manuel Ugarte.
If anyone is crazy enough to pay that amount of money, it is the Chelsea owner. He has already spent a huge amount of cash, and is planning to spend even more after a rotten 2022/23 campaign. The Blues also have the luxury of owning Levi Colwill, who Brighton want to sign permanently. Using him in the deal could help get the price down.
In contrast, Newcastle do not have the same kind of bargaining power. Therefore, if Howe wants Caicedo, he is going to have to convince the Toon owners to break the club’s transfer record.
They did that last summer, spending £63million on Alexander Isak. A deal for Caicedo could cost even more, with the £80million asking price meaning he could become one of the Premier League’s most expensive players ever.
At that price, there is surely no way that Dan Ashworth is going to be reunited with Caicedo at St James’ Park.