I personally think he already is, based on watching every minute he has played this season live. His stats are in the top percentile for his position in world football; the only thing he doesn’t have is a huge number of top level appearances. Obviously this is solely due to his age. Despite this, he’s 21 years old, a national team fixture with World Cup appearances behind him and an integral part of a team challenging for the Europa League.
The only question mark as I say, which ironically is also a major plus, is his age. Another season at the current level of performance will silence any doubts of being a “one season wonder” I would think.
When you’ve got a 21 year old who has been unquestionably our player of the season, with a contract until 2027, the only question is “how much?”. Having turned down £75m in January, I think the fee would be £100m or more, depending on whether the top clubs can afford a bidding war with the likes of Chelsea and their insane owner.
As a football lover as well as a Brighton supporter, I genuinely hand on heart would take Caicedo over Bellingham in that price bracket. They do different roles on the field, but what Caicedo offers affects both ends of the pitch. He dominates games week on week - often against very good sides.