Manchester United have contacted the representatives of Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Moises Caicedo amid the prolonged transfer saga involving Chelsea star Mason Mount, The Athletic report.
The Red Devils have already made three bids for Mount this summer. Their latest offer of £55m has been turned down by the Blues, who value the England international at around £65m.
United are clear that they won’t increase their proposal for the 24-year-old, and talks are expected with Chelsea this week to find out whether they can reach a suitable agreement.
In case there is no solution, the club are prepared to switch their focus to Caicedo. The Athletic claim that the Red Devils have already made contact with the player’s entourage.
United are willing to pay more for him than Mount as he is three years younger, but connected individuals ‘severely doubt’ their chances of meeting Brighton’s £100m price tag.
United could be playing mind games with Chelsea
The Red Devils currently have a limited budget of around £120m before player sales, and they are unlikely to spend most of the fee on the purchase of Caicedo from the Seagulls.
Their main priority at the moment is Mount. United are aware that Chelsea are also interested in Caicedo, and they may have entered the race to irritate the west London side.
In our view, this could play into United’s hands. Chelsea could negotiate Mount’s transfer in the coming days such that the Red Devils don’t interfere in their pursuit of Caicedo.
It would be a win-win situation for both clubs. United would get their preferred target in Mount, leaving the Blues with a free run at signing Caicedo from the Seagulls.
