Liverpool’s hopes of signing Moises Caicedo are still alive, despite the Brighton midfielder’s insistence on joining Chelsea instead.
The Reds had a British-record £111m bid accepted for the Ecuador international on Friday morning – only for Caicedo to snub a move to Anfield.
And, while the 21-year-old has his sights set on a switch to Stamford Bridge, it’s not necessarily going to be that straightforward…
Chelsea have still yet to table an offer for Caicedo and, according to Sky Sports’ Melissa Reddy, the two-time European champions will need to hurry if they are to get a deal done.
Reddy adds that the Blues were hopeful of Liverpool dropping their interest on Friday – which did not happen.
The Caicedo transfer saga goes all the way back to January, when Brighton rebuffed multiple bids from Arsenal for the player they signed from Ecuadorian club Independiente del Valle in 2021.
Chelsea are said to have long been favourites to win the race for Caicedo – but, for now, his future remains uncertain.
Brighton appear to have resigned themselves to losing one their star men, though, with head coach Roberto De Zerbi admitting as much. Speaking at a press conference on Friday, the Italian said:
“I have already forgotten about Moises. I’m really proud of the players we have in the squad.
“We want to keep improving. The credit goes to the club. Bigger clubs can buy our players but they can't buy our soul or spirit.”
More Liverpool transfer stories
Liverpool transfer news is coming thick and fast as we enter the final few weeks of the summer window.
Jurgen Klopp has opened up about the club’s decision to launch a mega-money bid for Caicedo.
But the Reds manager could be on his way out of Anfield sooner than anticipated.
Meanwhile, Liverpool are targeting as many as four midfielders amid their struggles in the transfer market.
