Liverpool could reportedly hijack Chelsea’s move for Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo if they sell Jordan Henderson and Fabinho this summer.
Jurgen Klopp has already given his blessing for Henderson to join Saudi club Al Ettifaq and Fabinho has emerged as a target for Al Ittihad.
If the duo leave, Liverpool will have to bring in at least one more midfielder and Caicedo would certainly be an excellent addition to the squad.
However, Chelsea remain the big favourites to sign the Ecuador international and won’t let the Reds beat them easily.
As reported by Football365, the Blues are ‘close’ to finalising a deal worth £80m for Caicedo. He is believed to be Mauricio Pochettino’s biggest transfer target.
The midfielder is keen on a move to Stamford Bridge so personal terms will not be an issue. Now, Chelsea are waiting on
Brighton giving them the green light in terms of the transfer fee.
If Liverpool come in at the last minute with an offer higher than £80m, though, they could scupper their plans.
According to talkSPORT, Klopp could sanction a move for Caicedo if they sell both Henderson and Fabinho this summer.
As mentioned, Henderson is on the verge of joining Al Ettifaq, who are managed by Steven Gerrard. The fee is believed to be in the region of £10m.
Al Ittihad are now poised to make a move for Fabinho, whose sale will be more lucrative for Liverpool. The Saudi club are willing to pay £40m for the Brazilian.
This gives Klopp £50m to put towards a new midfielder to replace the duo. Southampton’s Romeo Lavia has been discussed as a potential option but it now seems Caicedo is being seriously considered by the manager.
Last season, Caicedo made 37 Premier League appearances for Brighton. His best attribute is protecting his team’s defence, making an average of 2.7 tackles per game, as well as 1.5 interceptions.
A versatile player, the Ecuador international can also play as a left-back, so he could provide cover in a number of positions for Liverpool next term.
While reports suggest Chelsea reached an agreement for £80m for Caicedo, talkSPORT suggests this claim is wide of the mark.
They note that Brighton want closer to £100m for the Ecuadorian. The Seagulls think Caicedo should be worth similar to Declan Rice, who looks set to join Arsenal for £105m.
With that in mind, Liverpool would have to make a huge offer to beat Chelsea to the midfielder. So it will be interesting to see if they make a concrete bid over the next couple of weeks.
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