TRANSFER TRACKER STATUS: Signing
The Vancouver Whitecaps have acquired winger Deiber Caicedo from Deportivo Cali, the club announced Monday. They acquired his discovery rights from Nashville SC, as first reported by MLSsoccer.com, for $75,000 General Allocation Money.
Caicedo has signed a contract through 2023 with a club option for 2024. A source adds the transfer fee is in the region of $2.5 million with Cali retaining a sell-on fee.
“After scouting Déiber for a few weeks in early September, we added him to our list of targets who fit our profile — a very fast and aggressive left sided winger,” Whitecaps CEO and sporting director Axel Schuster said in a club statement. “He is a young talent and will be playing outside of South America for the first time, it will be a transition and we will be patient with him. We are very happy to have him part of our family here at the 'Caps.”
Caicedo, 20, can play on either wing though has spent more of his time on the right with Cali. He has seven goals and 16 assists in 67 professional appearances after graduating into the club's first team.
“Déiber is a very humble kid. He had to work hard to get his first chance in Cali and from there he took all the right steps,” said Marc Dos Santos. “Déiber’s speed and dribbling ability will offer our attack a different and exciting new option. He has the dream to reach Colombia’s senior team and chose Vancouver because he believes that we can offer him the right platform to succeed and achieve his goals. He can grow a lot as a player, and we are very happy to have him join our club.”
Caicedo was a member of Colombia's squad at the 2019 U-20 World Cup, alongside Chicago Fire FC defender Carlos Teran, Orlando City SC midfielder Andres Perea and New York Red Bulls center back Andres Reyes.
