BT Sport pundit Don Hutchison has urged Liverpool to sign AC Milan midfielder Sandro Tonali over Brighton and Hove Albion’s Moises Caicedo.
Taking to Twitter, the former Red claimed that although the Ecuador international is a good player, there are numerous others available in the market who would prove to be better value for money.
“Caicedo at 80million!” Hutchison exclaimed.
“Good player, but there are 20 similar players out there like him.
“This is the player [Sandro Tonali] Liverpool should buy for a fraction of the price. He does the lot!”
The Merseyside outfit are big admirers of Caicedo’s, but reports suggest Jurgen Klopp’s side are out of the race to land the 21-year-old’s signature, with Arsenal and Chelsea ploughing ahead.
According to Corriere dello Sport over four years ago, Liverpool made contact with Tonali’s then-club, Brescia, over a potential move for the Italian.
Hutchison says Liverpool should sign Tonali over Caicedo
Despite his obvious talents, demands upwards of £80m for Caicedo seem excessively inflated.
Just two years ago, the Ecuadorian signed for Brighton in a deal worth just £4.5m.
To date, he has made just 26 appearances in the Premier League. Although he has been extremely impressive, the number of matches he has played remains relatively low.
Therefore, it is understandable that Liverpool are hesitant to match the Seagull’s valuation of the player.
Instead, the likes of Tonali – who has been hailed as ‘extraordinary’ by PSG star Marco Verratti – would provide better value for a similar experience.
At 22-years-old, the Milan midfielder has already made 112 appearances in the Serie A.
Having also played in both the Champions League and Europa League, the Italy international has demonstrated he can perform on the biggest stage in European football.
Therefore, this could be a great shout by Hutchison, although Caicedo really would be excellent under Klopp.