Chelsea set to lose out to Man United in the race to sign South American starlet

Chelsea target Moises Caicedo set to have a medical with Manchester United

A report by Ecuadorian outlet Diario Expreso (h/t Daily Star) mentions that Manchester United have nearly won the race to sign Chelsea target Moises Caicedo.

The 19-year-old midfielder plays for Independiente del Valle in his country’s top division and has also represented Ecuador 4 times.

Since making his debut for the club last year, the starlet has made 31 appearances for his club and scored 6 goals in that time.

An earlier report by Daily Mail (h/t Daily Star) stated that Chelsea had opened talks with Caicedo’s intermediaries to submit a bid of their own. Newcastle United and Brighton & Hove Albion were also said to be keen on signing him.

However, it looks like Manchester United have won the race to bring the young midfielder to Old Trafford.

The move is reportedly set to be completed in the January transfer window and the transfer would be around £4.5m.

There is one problem, however, that any Premier League team could face in signing Caicedo. His age and number of senior appearances in South America may be a hurdle if he wants a work permit in England.

This does not seem like a massive blow for the Blues, especially in the short term. The club has an array of quality midfielders in the senior team, ranging from youngsters to seasoned veterans.

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This season, N’Golo Kante, Jorginho, and Mateo Kovacic have held the mast in Chelsea’s midfield. On top of that, the club also has quality young midfielders in its ranks such as Billy Gilmour and Kai Havertz.

However, at just £4.5m, Caicedo could have been a low-risk, high-reward signing for Frank Lampard. Moreover, the midfielder is on the verge of signing for one of Chelsea’s direct rivals in the league.