Caicedo 'not a £70m player' says Premier League winner

Stuart Telford

• 28 Jan 2023 10:41 CST
• 3 min read

Arsenal are closing on the £75 million signing of Moises Caicedo from Brighton. Not everyone is excited about the Ecuadorean's imminent transfer…

Caicedo has impressed since joining Brighton for just €5 million from Independiente del Valle in February 2021, and Arsenal will be delighted to beat Chelsea to his signature having missed been pipped to Mykhailo Mudryk by the Blues.

Caicedo, who spent his first season on loan in Belgium, has been immense since returning, averaging two tackles yet three shot-creating actions per game in the Premier League, and the Gunners appear ready to meet Brighton's asking price.

READ: Caicedo to Arsenal bad news for FIVE players

Top of the league, Mikel Arteta's side need more strength in depth in central midfield with Mohamed Elneny injured and Thomas Partey seemingly always at risk of joining him on the treatment table.

But for Tim Sherwood, a Premier League winner as a midfielder with Blackburn Rovers in 1995, Caicedo isn't worth the money.

Sherwood's damning appraisal

"I'm not saying it's his fault but sometimes you can look a world-beater in a Brighton shirt, no disrespect to Brighton…" said Sherwood, who more recently managed Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa, told Sky Sports. "When they step up and go and play for a huge club it doesn't happen for them.

READ: Moises Caicedo goes AWOL as Arsenal ready new transfer bid - Fabrizio Romano

"If everyone's fit, he doesn't play. I mean we've dug out some highlights of his game there. Do you see £70m in someone who can run around and tackle in midfield? I mean his passing range ain't fantastic, he scores one goal in a blue moon.

"I think for me it's an awful lot of money. For me there are better options out there for Arsenal Football Club and [Youri] Tielemans will be another Leicester player I'm selling for Brendan [Rodgers]."

Arsenal are likely to take the former Spurs man's words with a pinch of salt, but there is clearly some risk involved in shelling out for a player with less than 30 Premier League games under his belt…