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Liverpool have Moises Caicedo transfer chance thanks to Declan Rice and Romeo Lavia
Liverpool could reunite Moises Caicedo with Alexis Mac Allister at Anfield.
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Liverpool have been handed the chance to beat the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea to Moises Caicedo, one of the top midfielders on the market this summer. The Reds have already poached his Brighton partner in crime Alexis Mac Allister, but remain on the hunt for further midfield reinforcements.
Jurgen Klopp is planning to overhaul the middle of the pitch following a change in shape that brought a positive end to a disappointing season, with at least one more midfielder is expected to make the move to Anfield. It was not expected to be Caicedo, however, as both Arsenal and Chelsea appeared ahead of Liverpool in the race for the Ecuadorian.
Following his exceptional season at Brighton, Roberto De Zerbi’s outfit demanded in excess of £70million for the 21-year-old. It is something that the Gunners were prepared to pay in January, but now Mikel Arteta’s side have their sights set on West Ham captain Declan Rice instead.
Arsenal have since cooled their interest in Caicedo despite wanting more than one midfield addition, as they could end up spending around £100m on Rice and Caicedo could fetch a similar amount. The Gunners are instead targeting Southampton’s Romeo Lavia as their second signing to help replace Granit Xhaka, who is rated at £45m.
The news appeared to provide Chelsea with a boost as they looked to pair Caicedo with Enzo Fernandez for new boss Mauricio Pochettino. However, the Blues are facing a major fire sale to offset the huge outlay from Todd Boehly and co over the previous two windows and are keeping an eye on the pursestrings.
Talks between Chelsea and Brighton have been described as ‘slow’ with the Blues now unlikely to meet Caicedo’s asking price following their new disciplined approach. They also have Lavia on their four-man shortlist of alternatives, alongside another Liverpool target Manu Kone.
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With Chelsea and Arsenal both rejecting the opportunity to sign Caicedo in favour of Rice and Lavia, Liverpool could have a free run at the Brighton star if they do wish to reunite him with Mac Allister at Anfield. Whether they will take the chance remains to be seen, as he is reportedly not currently on the five-man list to follow Liverpool’s World Cup winner to the club.
Caicedo’s agent Manuel Sierra has recently spoken out on a potential move but insisted that Champions League will play a role, in a blow to the Reds having dropped out of the competition. “Moises is very happy playing in the Premier League as he is now, but let’s see what happens in the summer,” Sierra told LondonWorld.
“He is happy [at Brighton] and grateful to them for having given him the chance to fulfil one of his dreams [of playing in the Premier League]. He wants to play in the best clubs of the world and to keep playing the best competitions of the world like Champions League, World Cup and in my role I’ll try to support him in all what he needs as I try to do with all my players.”