Man Utd make SHOCKING Mount U-turn and attempt Caicedo hijack

Tom Weber

• Updated: 24 Jun 2023 21:17 BST
• 3 min read

Manchester United are turning their attention away from Mason Mount and onto Moises Caicedo, according to reports.

Already reported by The Guardian and now also backed up by The Times, it appears that Erik ten Hag and company will no longer pursue a deal for Mason Mount this summer unless Chelsea decide to accept their third and final offer of £55 million (€64m) after all.

The Red Devils saw their first two bids rejected and Fabrizio Romano recently reported that Chelsea have no intention of accepting the third one either but that they would be open to a compromise if United were willing to add another few million on top.

READ: Man Utd's hopes of signing star midfielder dealt definite blow

The Manchester outfit, however, have made it clear that they would leave the talks unless Chelsea accept, and this seems to have transpired now. United will instead focus their efforts on securing a deal for Brighton star Moises Caicedo.

Can Man Utd afford Caicedo?

The biggest question about this reported reorientation is whether this is just an elaborate bluff on United's part or whether they will indeed try to hijack Chelsea's Caicedo move. Romano has stated that the Blues are still feeling confident of securing a deal.

United are operating under budget restraints due to the takeover situation, hence their unwillingness to pay over the odds for Mount. If they are not prepared - or able - to meet Chelsea's Mount valuation of £65m, what makes them think they could get Caicedo for whom Brighton reportedly want at least £80m?

READ: Chelsea FLOP a 'priority' for European giants

Either way, it will be interesting to see how this saga continues to develop. The Red Devils will be confident of potentially getting Mount next year when his contract expires, but it remains to be seen whether Moises Caicedo will line up at Old Trafford as an alternative next season.