Manchester United are going to formally approach Brighton & Hove Albion for their midfield sensation Moises Caicedo, according to Sky Sports News.
United want to step up interest in the 21-year-old as they have yet to find a transfer agreement with Chelsea for Mason Mount.
Caicedo has been touted for a move away from Brighton in the current transfer window.
Several top clubs including Chelsea have been linked with a swoop for the midfielder.
Brighton will demand at least £80 million to sanction his exit.
Man Utd could be playing a bluff move with Chelsea
The Blues have rejected three bids from United for Mount – the latest worth £50 million plus £5m in add-ons.
United think this is a fair price for a player with just one year left in his contract.
Chelsea are in a hurry to sell a few players in this window. They have to balance their books to reduce the Financial Fair Play burden.
However, they are playing hardball with United and trying to extract more money for someone who could leave for free next summer.
It is hard to imagine United splashing £80m over a midfielder when their priority is to sign a world-class striker.
United know about Chelsea’s keen interest in bringing Caicedo to Stamford Bridge this summer.
By making a move for the Ecuadorian, the Red Devils want to portray that they are willing to walk away from Mount and instead sign Chelsea’s key target.
This tactic might force the Blues to sell Mount to United and leverage those funds to sign Caicedo.
