Why Chelsea and Liverpool are now ready to battle over Caicedo

Suraj Radia

• Updated: 16 Jan 2023 19:05 GMT
• 3 min read

Chelsea are hoping to continue their incredible spending spree and beat yet another rival to the punch by signing Moises Caicedo from under the noses of Liverpool.

The Blues successfully hijacked Arsenal’s move for Mykhaylo Mudryk on a deal worth around £88 million to take their total outlay to more than £400m since the arrival of owner Todd Boehly last year.

However, Graham Potter’s side are still believed to be keen on adding more signings to their squad and Caicedo is understood to be next on their radar, with Brighton likely to demand in excess of £65m for their star midfielder.

IDEAL: Why Caicedo would be perfect for both Liverpool and Chelsea

The Seagulls are hoping to keep hold of Caicedo but the club have been reluctant sellers in the past if the right fee was received, having sold Marc Cucurella to Chelsea in the summer for more than £60m.

Liverpool have been long-term admirers of Caicedo and were thought to be frontrunners to sign the Ecuadorian but Chelsea’s interest has complicated matters, with the Reds unlikely to be able to match their rivals’ spending prowess.

Both teams are desperate to add quality to their midfield and Caicedo’s athleticism and proven Premier League ability has made him a priority target for both, with Newcastle also monitoring the situation.

When could Brighton sell Caicedo?

Brighton pulled off somewhat of a coup by signing Caicedo in 2021 despite interest from the likes of Liverpool and Manchester United at the time.

However, while Brighton paid a relatively small price of £5m for the youngster, it was reported that other teams were reluctant to pursue a move for Caicedo due to the excess fees demanded by the numerous agents representing him.

Caicedo has since been looking to change his agents in order to push through a move to a bigger club but the switch has yet to be finalised, meaning his previous representatives are still currently in charge of his future.

BATTLE: Chelsea and Liverpool are competing to have the WORST transfer policy

As a result, CBS reporter Ben Jacobs has admitted a deal could be ‘messy’ to conduct in January, however things could change if Caicedo’s new agents are in place later on in the month.

Jacobs exclusively revealed to FootballTransfers that he would be ‘staggered’ if Liverpool ended up pursuing Caicedo this month, with Jurgen Klopp’s side hoping to sign him in the summer for a lower fee rather than a mid-season, post World-Cup move.

With Liverpool unlikely to swoop, the path could be clear for Chelsea to continue their limitless spending and add yet another young talent to their collection as they continue their rebuild under Boehly and Potter.