21-Years Old Starlet is in a State Of Confusion in Choosing  Either Chelsea OR Liverpool

Ecuadorian midfielder Moises Caicedo is on

track to establish a record for the highest

transfer fee in English football history as

both teams view the 21-year-old as crucial to

their chances of recovering from poor

seasons.

 

 

 Chelsea and Liverpool have gone to battle

in the transfer market for the signature of

Brighton’s Moises Caicedo before they face

off at Stamford Bridge on the opening

weekend of the Premier League season.

The Ecuadorian is set to become the most

expensive player in English football history

as both clubs see the 21-year-old as integral

to their hopes of bouncing back after

disappointing seasons.

Liverpool have agreed a £110 million deal

(US$140 million, €127 million, RM640

million) with Brighton, but the player is

believed to still favour a move to Chelsea.

The Blues slumped to 12th in the Premier

League last season — their lowest finish

since 1994 — despite spending over £500

million on new players during the first year

of the club’s new ownership.

 

Chelsea are now looking to throw more

money at their issues after a summer

clearout left new manager Mauricio

Pochettino short of midfield options.

But after they failed to match the asking

price during months of negotiations,

Liverpool looked to have stolen a march

when they were the highest bidders by a

deadline imposed by Brighton on Thursday.

The Reds are also in need of new

midfielders after losing captain Jordan

Henderson, Fabinho, James Milner, Naby

Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain since

the end of last season

Jurgen Klopp’s men missed out on

Champions League football for the first time

in seven seasons after finishing fifth in the

Premier League last season.

And despite the capture of another of

Brighton’s stars Alexis Mac Allister and

Dominik Szoboszlai from RB Leipzig, fans

and even the club’s new skipper Virgil van

Dijk have grown frustrated with the lack of

new arrivals at Anfield.

“Obviously, when a lot of players are

leaving, when your captain is leaving, your

vice-captain is leaving, and at the moment,

there are only two incomings…I can

understand some people having doubts,”

said Van Dijk.

 

Liverpool ‘desperate’

After bowing out of the bidding for Jude

Bellingham prior to his 100 million euro

move from Borussia Dortmund to Real

Madrid earlier this year and refusing to

meet Southampton’s £50 million asking

price for Romeo Lavia, Liverpool’s late

swoop for Caicedo was labelled “desperate”

by former defender Jamie Carragher.

But Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp said the

unexpected departures of Henderson and

Fabinho to Saudi Arabia had forced the

club’s hand.

“We are a club with not endless resources,”

said Klopp. “Things we didn’t expect, a

couple of things, happened in the summer.”

 

Klopp also had to row back on his previous

criticism other clubs spending over £100

million on a single player.

“Everything changed. Do I like it? No. Did I

• realise I was wrong? Yes,” added the

German coach.

“I’m not blaming anyone but it’s just the

market. In the end, we as a club have to

make sure that, with our resources, we get

the best possible player.”

Whoever does not end up landing Caicedo,

though, risks falling to close the gap not only

to defending champions Manchester City,

but Arsenal and Manchester United, who

already have their major transfer business

done before the season starts.

By contrast, both Chelsea and Liverpool will

begin their campaigns on Sunday with

gaping holes in their midfield.

So too do Brighton, who must once again

rebuild after qualifying for Europe for the

first time in the club’s history last season.

“I’ve already forgotten Moises,” said the

Seagulls manager Roberto De Zerbi

yesterday.

“The big clubs can buy the players but they

can’t buy our soul and our spirit.” — AFP