LUTON must pay £5.5million for Ecuadorian midfielder Oscar Zambrano — and LDU Quito may but need much more.
The Hatters have had a £3.8m bid rejected already for the 19-year-old — who’s their high January goal.
Moises Caicedo left Brighton for ChelseaCredit score: Getty
Luton have been scouting Oscar ZambranoCredit score: Getty
LDU are in Saturday’s Copa Sudamericana remaining — and if Zambrano places on a present, they’re completely satisfied to have an public sale for the ‘subsequent Moises Caicedo’.
Hatters chief scout Phil Chapple went to talk to the LDU Quito participant — who was in Copa Sudamerica motion in Argentina — a few potential £5million swoop.
Zambrano, 19, is a defensive midfielder within the mould of Moises Caicedo, who was picked up in Ecuador by Brighton and bought to Chelsea for a Premier League report £115m.
Actually, Zambrano got here by means of the identical soccer academy as Caicedo and has been eager to come back to Europe since a trial at Ajax a few years in the past.
Luton need to recruit Zambrano for the survival battle and hope to kind a price and agree private phrases as quickly as doable.
Paradoxically, Chapple has gone on the mission with John Morling, a Luton scout who labored for Brighton and is aware of the kind of participant that’s accessible low cost in South America.
The Ecuador Beneath-20s star has already remodeled 20 begins in senior soccer, together with within the Copa Sudamericana — additionally much like Caicedo’s profile who was snapped up quick.
The midfielder joined Brighton from Independiente del Valle in 2021 and rapidly rose to stardom.
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The Ecuador worldwide was first despatched off on mortgage to Beerschot the identical yr.
After which, the 21-year-old went on to amass a complete of two targets and three assists in 53 appearances with the Seagulls.
Caicedo accomplished his report transfer to Chelsea in the summertime and has since registered eight appearances at Stamford Bridge.
The Ecuadorian was additionally focused by Arsenal final January and tried to power a transfer to the Emirates that didn’t materialise.
Liverpool additionally tried to land him in the summertime with a report supply of their very own however the Blues outbid them.