Liverpool are likely to try and sign Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo next year.
That’s according to The Mirror, who claim that Brighton are finally ready to ‘cash in’ on the 20-year-old.
Caicedo and Brighton reportedly won’t be short of options, either. Manchester United, Newcastle United and Chelsea are all said to be ready to join Liverpool in the race.
As a result of the scramble for his signature, the Seagulls will reportedly be looking for around £85m to sell Caicedo.
Such a fee would make the Ecuadorian Liverpool’s record signing.
Caicedo ready for Premier League elite
Rumours have been rumbling since late in the summer transfer window that Liverpool would move for Caicedo.
The Brighton man has been impressing in the Premier League this season, and looks set for a big future.
At this point though, some of the other teams mentioned would appear to have a leg up on Liverpool here.
Firstly, there’s the obvious connection between Caicedo and new Chelsea manager Graham Potter. Potter is obviously a key figure in the youngster’s career so far and the coach has spoken highly of him in the recent past, calling him ‘fantastic.’
It doesn’t feel like a stretch to say that Caicedo would jump at the chance to work with Potter again, at a bigger club.
However, there’s some bad blood between the two clubs. After pursuing, and signing, Marc Cucurella in the summer, Chelsea then poached all of Brighton’s backroom staff along with Potter in September.
This could potentially make negotiations difficult.
Then there’s Newcastle, who have recently appointed former Brighton technical director Dan Ashworth as their new sporting director. Ashworth is likely to hold sway with those in charge of the purse strings at the South Coast club.
So, perhaps Liverpool would be wise to stay out of this one. There’s no doubt that Caicedo is a top talent who can get even better. But in the Reds’ current predicament, they need players who are a little more established. At £85m, Caicedo may not be worth the hassle.
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