Liverpool to sign Caicedo in £110M record move

Sports

After outbidding Chelsea in a record deal, Liverpool and Brighton have reached an agreement on a price for Moises Caicedo.

Before Liverpool made a larger offer reportedly for a British transfer record of £110 million, which Albion accepted, Chelsea made four bids for the Ecuadorian international. Liverpool had been focusing their attention on Southampton’s Romeo Lavia, who is also a target for Chelsea, and had had three bids for the teenager rejected.

However, after deciding not to compete for Caicedo, they changed their strategy and started talks with Brighton, which, if successful, could make the 21-year-old the most expensive player in Premier League history, surpassing the £107 million Chelsea bought for Enzo Fernandez in January.

Caicedo’s move would also set a new transfer record for Liverpool. In 2018, Virgil van Dijk, a new captain, went for £75 million, while Darwin Nunez cost an initial £64 million but might end up costing £85 million with add-ons.

But once Jordan Henderson and Fabinho joined Al-Ettifaq and Al-Ittihad, respectively, in the Saudi Pro-League, Liverpool’s need for a defensive midfielder rose.