Former Toon boss Steve Bruce has revealed that chief scout Steve Nickson almost signed Moises Caicedo for just £4.5m-£5m back in 2021.
Speaking to William Hill, Bruce explains that Nickson was a huge fan of Caicedo – who played for Ecuadorian club Independiente del Valle at the time – but the midfielder opted to join Brighton instead.
Two years later, the 21-year-old has just broken a British transfer record after sealing a £115m move to Chelsea, making him the most expensive Premier League player ever.
His story could have been very different had he joined the Magpies two years ago, yet it could’ve been an incredible signing for the club and shows head of recruitment Steve Nickson knows his stuff after spotting him in South America.
Here’s what Bruce had to say about Caicedo when speaking alongside on the No Tippy Tappy podcast:
“When I was at Newcastle we tried to sign Moises Caicedo for £4.5m-£5m and I remember thinking ‘what a good player he was’. The chief scout at Newcastle, Steve Nickson, came and told me that I had to see him play and that he was sensational.
“He ended up choosing Brighton instead of Newcastle and that will go down as one that we missed out on because now he’s gone on to become the British record transfer fee for £115 million, but he is a top, top player.”
Few could blame him, the Seagulls have a knack of developing young talent into stars; something Steve Bruce or Mike Ashley’s Newcastle were not known for at the time of our interest!
Under Eddie Howe and the new ownership this may have been a different story, but at least we are now a much more attractive prospect for young players and are continuing to grow our academy and stature around the world.
