Liverpool hit MAJOR obstacle in pursuit of midfield star

Tom Hancock

• Updated: 4 Jul 2023 00:40 CDT
• 4 min read

Liverpool’s interest in Moises Caicedo looks unlikely to lead anywhere, with Brighton’s valuation of the midfielder proving problematic.

The Reds are said to be huge admirers of the Ecuadorian international, who has also been linked with Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal – the latter of whom failed with two bids back in January.

Last season saw Caicedo surge to prominence as one of the best midfielders in the Premier League, helping Brighton secure European qualification for the first time in their history.

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According to Ben Jacobs of CaughtOffside, Brighton are demanding a whopping £100m (€116.3m) for Caicedo, 21 – who they signed for a mere £4.5m (€5m) from Ecuadorian outfit Independiente del Valle two-and-a-half years ago.

As such, Liverpool may have to smash their transfer record - £85.6m (€100m) for Darwin Nunez - in order to get a deal over the line.

And that just doesn’t seem feasible – especially after the Reds dropped their interest in Jude Bellingham earlier this summer, prior to his move from Borussia Dortmund to Real Madrid, amid price concerns.

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Moises’ meteoric rise

Having spent the first half of the 2021/22 campaign on loan with Beerschot in Belgium then returned to his parent club to make a handful of appearances, Caicedo featured in all but one of Brighton’s 38 Premier League matches in 2022/23, taking his total number of games for the club to 53.

He played the full 90 minutes as the Seagulls drew 3-3 with Liverpool at Anfield in October – in Roberto De Zerbi’s first game in charge – and swept the Reds aside 3-0 in January’s reverse fixture.

Last year also saw Caicedo make his World Cup debut: he started all three of Ecuador’s games at Qatar 2022, scoring in their final match against Senegal.