11 August 2023 , 18:02
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Liverpool have not given up on their pursuit of Moisés Caicedo.
But there is a grim realism within the corridors of power at Anfield, that Chelsea will land the young midfielder if they satisfy the football authorities their finances meet stringent new spending regulations.
On a day of high drama as the Merseyside club had a British record transfer fee of £110m accepted by Brighton for the 21-year-old, some murky behind-the-scenes manoeuvres left Reds boss Jurgen Klopp feeling bitterly disappointed…and frustrated.
The Mirror understands that Liverpool ’s bid for the Ecuador international only came after they received encouragement from the player’s camp, with the suggestion Caicedo would happily join the club if the offer was accepted.
Wages were thought not to be a problem, though no terms had been agreed or formal negotiations taken place, but the indications from his representatives left Klopp feeling confident he would get the transfer over the line.
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That all played out late into Thursday evening, and by about 3am Liverpool were far enough along to get the process of the deal formally underway after Brighton confirmed their bid was accepted over Chelsea’s offer.
Caicedo has become embroiled in a tug of war between Chelsea and Liverpool (Getty Images)No medical had been officially scheduled, but negotiations with the player’s agent were due to get underway on Friday morning, with Klopp due to speak in person to Caicedo.
But it became ominously clear to the Anfield club there were problems, with his representatives eventually, and belatedly, making clear Chelsea was still the preferred destination…leaving the manager red-faced after being forced to field questions on the ‘signing’ in a scheduled weekly media conference.
Liverpool though, are still prepared to wait to see the outcome of Chelsea’s attempts to prove to both FIFA and the Premier League that their avalanche of spending over the past eight months complies with Fair Play rules, and also the domestic league’s Profit and Sustainability regulations.
Another £110m on top of the best part of £800m owner Todd Boehly has spent since January would be hard to justify under stringent rules - which have been updated after Chelsea’s cunning decision to give players up to nine year contracts to subvert regulations.
It leaves Liverpool in limbo, but they are still engaged in negotiations with Southampton over their promising young midfielder Romeo Lavia, and have players such as France international Khephren Thuram and Holland’s Ryan Gravenberch on their radar.