Brighton manager Graham Potter has suggested that Moises Caicedo would cost Liverpool a club record transfer, should they pursue him.
Speaking in a press conference via brightonandhovealbion.com, Potter implied that the player would cost Liverpool £100m. Asked about rumours of clubs preparing bids of £42m for Caicedo, the manager dismissed the fee in question.
“I think you’d probably get his boots for that from the chairman maybe, knowing the chairman,” said Potter. “It’s not for me to talk about. It is what it is.” Pushed on whether it would take closer to £100m to sell the 20-year-old, Potter remained coy. “Yeah, well, they can try,” he responded.
“[It’s] No surprise [that clubs are interested in Caicedo], but we know the position he is in, and we know the position the club are in, which is we don’t want to lose him, and we don’t think we will,” the coach continued. “But in football, you never know. That is how it is, but we are quite calm and confident.”
Caicedo out of Liverpool’s reach for now
Caicedo has emerged over the last few days as a potential option for Liverpool. The 20-year-old has lit up the opening weeks of the Premier League.
As a result, there have been some suggestions that he could be the answer to Liverpool’s midfield prayers.
Last week, Ecuadorian outlet Studio Futbol claimed that Liverpool were readying a bid for the Brighton man. They also reported that Caicedo had an offer from Manchester United, but had rejected a move to Old Trafford.
Judging from Potter’s comments, the youngster very much remains in Brighton’s plans. With just a couple of days left in the window, and having already lost Yves Bissouma, it’s unlikely they’d let him go now.
Besides, for the kind of money being spoken about, Liverpool may feel it’s better to pursue other options.
As Caicedo grows in prominence, his value is only going to keep rising. The Ecuador international is also due to represent his country at this year’s World Cup, which could inflate his price further.
In that regard, it looks like Liverpool may have missed the boat on Caicedo. An offer at this stage of the window would have to be a mammoth one to bring Brighton to the table. That isn’t the way Liverpool tend to do things.
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