Staff at Liverpool are still questioning why they didn’t pick up Moises Caicedo when he left Independiente del Valle in 2021.
The Reds are reportedly one of the sides currently interested in signing Caicedo from Brighton. And as per a report in Goal today, Liverpool have held ‘internal discussions’ over why the Ecuadorian wasn’t signed two years ago.
It’s claimed that Anfield sources feel they should have been ‘all over’ Caicedo. Instead, it was Brighton who bought the then 19-year-old for just £5m. Since then, his value has sky-rocketed.
It’s claimed that Liverpool continue to be ‘admirers’ of Caicedo. However both Chelsea and Arsenal appear to be taking their interest further – both have reportedly had bids turned down this week. Brighton are said to be insistent that their player is not for sale this month.
Liverpool paying for Caicedo fumble
This is certainly a frustrating turn of events for Liverpool. They are obviously long-term fans of Caicedo, but look set to lose out on him for a second time.
In fairness to the Reds though, they can’t predict the future. Who knows how the Ecuador international would have developed at Anfield.
There are so many talented young players coming through in South America, constantly. With the jump to playing at Liverpool so great though, it’s impossible to take a punt on a lot of them.
Sure, it would be nice to see the Reds be a touch more adventurous , though. £5m for a player with a ceiling as high as Caicedo isn’t exactly a risk for a club Liverpool’s size. But that doesn’t tend to be the way the club operates.
Perhaps this will serve as a lesson to the Reds then. They surely have other Caicedo’s in their sights as we speak. Instead of waiting for them to become £60m players at Premier League rivals, maybe they’ll now be more willing to go straight to the source.
If they do though, they’ll perhaps undercut a crucial part of their development. It’s frustrating to see a club like Brighton constantly uncover gem after gem and sell them on at enormous profits. But it’s also a vital experience to a lot of these players.
The likes of the Seagulls allow for a kind of finishing school for players like Caicedo. If they are a success, the bigger fish in the footballing pond know they’re getting more of a sure thing and will inevitably come feeding.
But then again, this is Premier League football – sure thing’s don’t really exist. Liverpool’s decision to let Caciedo move elsewhere looks like a bad one for now. Should he move onto a Chelsea or an Arsenal and fail to kick on though, it could still have been the right choice.
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