Luton ready to smash their transfer record to sign the ‘next Moises Caicedo’ after scouting starlet in Ecuador

LUTON will have to pay £5.5million for Ecuadorian midfielder Oscar Zambrano — and LDU Quito could yet want even more.

The Hatters have had a £3.8m bid rejected already for the 19-year-old — who is their top January target.

GettyMoises Caicedo left Brighton for Chelsea[/caption]

GettyLuton have been scouting Oscar Zambrano[/caption]

LDU are in Saturday’s Copa Sudamericana final — and if Zambrano puts on a show, they are happy to have an auction for the ‘next Moises Caicedo’.

Hatters chief scout Phil Chapple went to speak to the LDU Quito player — who was in Copa Sudamerica action in Argentina —  about a potential £5million swoop.

Zambrano, 19, is a defensive midfielder in the mould of Moises Caicedo, who was picked up in Ecuador by Brighton and sold to Chelsea for a Premier League record £115m.

In fact, Zambrano came through the same football academy as Caicedo and has been keen to come to Europe since a trial at Ajax a couple of years ago.

Luton want to recruit Zambrano for the survival battle and hope to sort a fee and agree personal terms as soon as possible.

Ironically, Chapple has gone on the mission with John Morling, a Luton scout who worked for Brighton and knows the type of player that is available cheap in South America.

The Ecuador Under-20s star has already made over 20 starts in senior football, including in the Copa Sudamericana —  also similar to Caicedo’s profile who was snapped up fast.

The midfielder joined Brighton from Independiente del Valle in 2021 and quickly rose to stardom.

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The Ecuador international was first sent off on loan to Beerschot the same year.

And then, the 21-year-old went on to amass a total of two goals and three assists in 53 appearances with the Seagulls.

Caicedo completed his record move to Chelsea in the summer and has since registered eight appearances at Stamford Bridge.

The Ecuadorian was also targeted by Arsenal last January and tried to force a move to the Emirates that didn’t materialise.

Liverpool also tried to land him in the summer with a record offer of their own but the Blues outbid them.