Newcastle United are believed to be keeping a close eye on Brighton and Hove Albion starlet, Moises Caicedo, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.
What's the word?
In his column for Caught Offside, the Italian transfer guru revealed that the 21-year-old is a player that the Magpies are tracking ahead of the January transfer window, albeit with no contact having yet taken place regarding a switch for the Ecuador international.
“On midfielders, they are following Moises Caicedo for sure but at the moment there are no negotiations at all with Newcastle. Many top clubs are following him closely," Romano stated.
The Tynesiders were previously named as one of the potential suitors for the midfielder back in October should the Seagulls look to cash in, albeit with any move for the former Independiente del Valle man seemingly set to cost in the region of £60m-70m, according to recent reports.
Howe's own Gerrard
The promising talent been a real standout figure at the Amex since his return from a loan stint in Belgium at the start of the year, with the youngster having initially arrived on the south coast for a bargain fee of just £4.5m back in February 2021.
The current campaign has proven particularly fruitful for the highly-rated "jewel" - as described by Ecuadorian historian Enrico Castro-Montes - as he currently ranks sixth in the division for tackles made (43), having started all 14 games for Roberto De Zerbi's side so far this season.
The 28-cap gem also notably impressed for his country at the World Cup in recent weeks, having featured in all three groups for the South American nation in Qatar, scoring once in the eventual defeat to Senegal, while also further showcasing his ball-winning prowess by averaging two tackles per game.
Such is Caicedo's undoubted quality he has even previously been likened to Premier League legend Steven Gerrard in the past by talent scout Jacek Kulig, who categorised the young playmaker as a "box-to-box" midfielder.
That comparison is also no doubt warranted by the Brighton man's keen eye for a goal, having notably netted a spectacular long-range effort in the win over Manchester United at the tail-end of last season.
Such a moment of magic was also seemingly Gerrard's trademark - be it the Englishman's piledriver against Olympiakos or his outrageous FA Cup final strike against West Ham United - during what was a lengthy career at the elite level for both club and country, having scored 186 goals and registered 153 assists in 710 games for the Anfield outfit.
The now-retired maestro - who also scored 21 goals in 113 games at international level - is rightly regarded as one of the finest of his generation in his position, having notably been dubbed "the best midfielder the Premier League has ever seen", according to pundit Jamie O'Hara.
To be compared to such a talent is high praise indeed as far as Caicedo is concerned, with Newcastle boss Eddie Howe likely to relish having a Gerrard-esque figure in his midfield ranks.