Moises Caicedo addresses Yves Bissouma comparison and makes Paul Pogba and Man United claim

Caicedo, 20, signed for Brighton for a reported £4m from Ecuadorian Serie A outfit Independiente del Valle in 2021.

The midfielder has 19 caps for his country and Albion were said to have beaten West Ham, Man United and AC Milan to his signature.

He was promptly loaned to Belgian First Division A team Beerschot where he made 12 appearances and scoring once for the Antwerp based team.

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Caicedo's loan deal was cut short and he returned to Brighton as Yves Bissouma was on international duty with Mali at the Afcon and Enock Mwepu was struggling with a hamstring problem.

It has given Caicedo a chance to impress first team head coach Graham Potter sooner than expected and he made his first team debut in the FA Cup loss at Tottenham earlier this month.

"When Graham called me and said he wanted me to come back, I felt very happy," said Caicedo. "Now I have been back in the squad, I feel comfortable, like I belong here.

"It’s also good to be back working with the coach and his staff because he likes to progress the young players and every day I feel like I’m making progress by training hard, very intensive.

"I need that to help me adapt to the demands of the Premier League.”

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Caicedo was introduced on the hour at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium where he replaced Solly March and lined-up alongside Bissouma in midfield in the final 30 minutes of the3-0 loss.

The Ecuadorian admits Bissouma has been a huge help since his arrival on the south coast and is pleased to be compared to a player who has been linked with moves Man United, Liverpool, Newcastle and Aston Villa.

“While I’m not at his level yet and much younger, I like to think I am a similar player in terms of the way I play," he said. "I can break up the play and I can push forward, I can do both sides, although I see myself as more of an attacking player.

“It’s great to have Yves to learn from though. He was always talking to me in the Tottenham game and I enjoy training with him as well.

"I learn so much from him and Adam Lallana is the same. He is there to help me and always has time to speak to me. I’m lucky that I have midfield players like Yves and Adam to learn from every day.”

Caicedo was also in Potter's matchday squad to face Man United at Old Trafford. The Brighton man admits United were his favourite team when growing up in Santo Domingo and that Paul Pogba is a player he greatly admires.

“As a midfielder, Pogba was always my favourite player,” he added. “I also liked N'Golo Kante, for the defensive side, but Pogba was the player who has always excited me, for the way he gets on the ball and breaks forward.

“Manchester United was always my team because of Pogba and, before that Valencia. He was a winger, then a right-back, and was strong, fast and very intelligent.

"He was the perfect player for the Premier League and if I can go on and enjoy a career like him, then it will be a dream.”

“I have only just started out,” he pointed out. “I have much long to learn and much more to show. I feel I am in the best place to do that, in an exciting team, with an excellent coach and staff.

"The fans haven’t really seen too much of me yet but as the months pass and I settle in more, hopefully I can show what I can do. These are exciting times for me.”

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