Antonio Valencia has urged Manchester United to make a move for Moises Caicedo and PSG defender Willian Pacho this summer, saying the pair could give Michael Carrick’s squad a backbone that lasts for years. The former United winger, who won two Premier League titles at Old Trafford, said he would bring in both players now if it were his decision.
Valencia’s comments have quickly drawn attention because they land as United prepare for a summer rebuild and are already closing in on their first signing, Brazil midfielder Ederson, in a £35m deal with Atalanta. The club have also been linked with Elliott Anderson, Mateus Fernandes, Sandro Tonali, Adam Wharton and Carlos Baleba, but Valencia made clear he had two names in mind when he looked at the shape of the squad.
His pitch for Caicedo was built around Kobbie Mainoo. Valencia said he would love the Chelsea midfielder to line up beside Mainoo at Manchester United, arguing that Mainoo could play “a little freer” with Caicedo more central. He went further, calling the pairing “incredible” and saying Caicedo’s intensity, stamina, strength, technique and two-way game would make him an ideal midfield partner for the England player.
That is where the idea becomes difficult for United. Caicedo is believed to be untouchable in any summer sale, which makes Valencia’s recommendation far more ambitious than routine transfer talk. Chelsea paid heavily to bring him in, and there is little to suggest they are open to losing him, no matter how strongly a former United favourite talks him up.
Valencia was just as direct about Pacho. He called the PSG defender a very important signing and described him as the left-sided centre-back United should want, praising his height, pace, aerial ability and vision. He said both players were young, improving and capable of serving Manchester United for 10 years, a line that fits the scale of the rebuild Carrick is expected to oversee.
For now, though, Valencia’s wish list is exactly that — a wish list. United are already moving on Ederson, but whether they can turn admiration for Caicedo or Pacho into a real bid is another matter, and the Caicedo question may be the one that tells the bigger story about how bold this summer can really be.
