Moises Caicedo is said to be closing in on a move to Brighton & Hove Albion after Manchester United ended their interest in the teenager.
The MEN understands that United shelved plans to sign the 19-year-old Ecuador international from Independiente de Valle this month after the deal became "too messy" due to the involvement of various intermediaries.
It is now being reported that another Premier League club, Brighton, are in advanced talks about landing the young midfielder for a £4.5million fee.
United have today been told that their "loss" could be Brighton's "gain" by South American football expert Tim Vickery.
"This time last week I was telling you it was going to be Man United, based on what sources in Ecuador were saying," Vickery told Sky Sports.
"But if it is Brighton, then United's loss is Brighton's gain.
"They are getting someone who I think is an absolutely terrific player.
"And in 2020, we saw the good formation Moises Caicedo has - stepped into the first team of his club, breeze. Stepped into international football with Ecuador, breeze.
"You know, he was up against Argentina, Uruguay, Colombia."
Vickery had previously told Football Daily : "This fellow, Moises Caicedo, he’s already much more than a promise - he’s a reality. He’s the first player born in the 21st century to score a goal in South America’s World Cup qualifiers.”
Caicedo was also compared to Manchester City legend Colin Bell, who recently passed away at the age of 74.
“I don’t want to say that Moises Caicedo is going to be as good as Colin Bell,” Vickery added. “But Moises Caicedo is in that kind of mould - he’s a terrific athlete who makes football look easy.
“He’s a box-to-box midfielder. A year ago he was saying that Kante of Chelsea was his role model. He’s already more than that - he offers more in the final third than that.
“That can of box-to-box midfielder which is very much in the tradition of the English game - strong, quick, intelligent, cool. He really does look like the genuine article.”
