Antonio Valencia Backs £115m Moises Caicedo Move for Manchester United
antonio valencia wants Manchester United to move for Moises Caicedo and Willian Pacho, and he has set out why both fit the rebuild he believes the club needs. The former United winger said he would love Caicedo alongside Kobbie Mainoo and described Pacho as a player who could help for 10 years.
Valencia backed an audacious push for the Chelsea midfielder and urged Michael Carrick to target the PSG defender this summer. He said the pair are young, have been improving, and could give Manchester United long-term options as Ruben Amorim’s squad is reshaped.
Valencia’s case for Caicedo
“For me, I would love Moises Caicedo to come and play alongside Mainoo at Manchester United,” Valencia said. “They could form an incredible partnership.” He added: “Mainoo could play a little freer, with Caicedo more central. I think it would be an impressive partnership.”
Valencia also pointed to the Chelsea midfielder’s all-round game. “Moises has incredible intensity. He plays the 90 minutes at the same rhythm. He does not get tired, he is physically strong, he has good technique and a good shot. He attacks well and defends well,” he said. “If you put him alongside a player like Mainoo, who has a good touch in midfield, I think it would be a fantastic partnership. I would love Moises to come to Manchester United.”
Pacho and United’s summer rebuild
“For me, I would bring in two players right now,” Valencia said. “They are young, they have been improving, and they could play for Manchester United for 10 years.” He named Pacho first, adding: “One would be Pacho, the left-sided centre-back. He is tall, fast, good in the air and has good vision. And then Moises Caicedo.”
Pacho’s profile is strengthened by what he did last season, when he helped PSG retain the Ligue 1 title and the Champions League trophy. Valencia’s praise lands in a summer when Manchester United are already set to make Brazil’s Ederson their first signing after agreeing a £35m deal with Atalanta, and the club has also shown interest in Elliot Anderson, Mateus Fernandes, Sandro Tonali, Adam Wharton and Carlos Baleba.
That leaves United with a clear direction in midfield and at centre-back: add runners, add age profile, and add players who can stay in the side for a decade. Valencia, who won two Premier League titles at Old Trafford, has put two names at the front of that conversation, with Caicedo rated at £115m and Pacho presented as the defender who fits the next phase.
