Premier League rivals threaten to beat Man Utd to 'new Moises Caicedo'

Tom Weber

• Updated: 4 Jan 2024 20:36 GMT
• 2 min read

After defeating Manchester United at Old Trafford, Bournemouth could now beat them to the signature of one of the world's brightest talents.

LDU Quito youngster Oscar Zambrano is already earning comparisons to famous compatriot Moises Caicedo, who became the Premier League's most expensive player ever in the summer. Zambrano has been tipped to follow in the Chelsea man's footsteps and English sides are already interested in the 19-year-old.

On Thursday morning, it was revealed that Man Utd and Caicedo's former club Brighton are keen on snapping up the teenager. However, the Red Devils and the Seagulls could already be out of the race to sign him.

According to Fabrizio Romano, it is not United or Brighton who have cast the first stone but Bournemouth. The Cherries are looking to steal a march on the more illustrious competition by acting swiftly.

Man Utd can't dally

The Italian transfer expert has revealed that Andoni Iraola's side are set to launch a $5.5 million (€5m) bid for Zambrano. If successful, Man Utd could miss out on one of the biggest prospects in South America.

A frequent criticism of Man Utd has been indecisiveness. The ongoing takeover saga in the summer meant that the Red Devils' transfer business dragged on more than it should have and things likely won't be different this time around.

With the club in the midst of Sir Jim Ratcliffe's shake-up that will see several new key figures arrive at the club, there is once again a real threat that it could take the Red Devils too long to make important transfer decisions.

In this instance, Zambrano could be a Bournemouth player before United's chiefs have even decided whether or not to pursue a deal. Yet, it may also be much ado about nothing: the youngster likely won't be eligible for a UK work permit anytime soon, so there is a fair bit of risk attached to his signing, the kind of risk a club like Man Utd - notorious for their poor recent business - can do without.