How £115m Caicedo could have completed Newcastle transfer for just £4.5m

Moises Caicedo is expected to play a starring role in Chelsea's midfield for years to come – but it could have been all so different...

It has been revealed that Newcastle United almost signed Moises Caicedo for just £4.5million when Steve Bruce was in charge. The 21-year-old midfielder joined Chelsea from Brighton this summer for an eye-watering British-record fee of £115million – but it could have been all so different had the Magpies beaten the Seagulls to his signature.

Speaking to William Hill and Footy Accumulators’ No Tippy Tappy Football, Bruce remembered how good he thought Caicedo was before Brighton intercepted the race to sign him in 2021. The former Newcastle boss said: "When I was at Newcastle we tried to sign Moises Caicedo for £4.5million and I remember thinking what a good player he was.

"The chief scout at Newcastle, Steve Nixon, came and told me that I had to see him play and that he was sensational. He ended up choosing Brighton instead of Newcastle and that will go down as one that we missed out on because now he’s gone on to become the British record transfer fee for £115million, but he is a top, top player."

Newcastle are not the only club to have almost signed Caicedo before his raise to superstardom at the Amex Stadium. According to The Guardian, Manchester United considered signing the Ecuador international in December 2020.

Instead, the Red Devils decided to sign Casemiro from Real Madrid 18 months later after deciding against signing a new midfielder in 2021. With Stamford Bridge now home to one of the best midfielders in the English top-flight, Newcastle and Man United certainly rue not signing Caicedo when they had the chance.

"I would like to congratulate the owners, the sporting directors, everyone involved because the job was amazing. To add this sort of player like Moises, or Romeo [Lavia] now, I think it was a fantastic work from the club.

"We need to congratulate the job they are doing, the owners and the sporting directors because it was fantastic. This type of player, with the qualities they have, to come into this squad and to this project. It's really exciting moment and situation for the club."

"It wasn't a competition – it was the players' decision to join us. That makes us very happy and they speak really highly of the owners, our sporting director and the way that they work to earn the target.

"The players wanted to come here. I think they are feeling something special – I hope they are feeling something special. Something good is happening here."