Liverpool have agreed a £110m deal to buy Brighton’s Moisés Caicedo and are hoping to guard against any late hijack from Chelsea by swiftly concluding the signing of the midfielder.
Chelsea had been considered the frontrunners for Caicedo, their top target in their hunt for midfield reinforcements, and submitted a bid worth up to £100m on Thursday night. However they have been gazumped by Liverpool muscling in on the deal for the Ecuador international. Liverpool are aiming to discuss personal terms with Caicedo and to complete the transfer on Friday after their higher bid was accepted.
Caicedo was in London on Thursday, as was one of his representatives, and was said to favour a move to Chelsea. Sources have not ruled out Chelsea, whose previous bid for the 21-year-old was worth £80m, trying to outdo Liverpool by returning with more than £110m. There has long been an expectation that the club, who have been in talks with Brighton all summer, would get the deal done.
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Chelsea need to strengthen in midfield after losing Mason Mount, N’Golo Kanté, Jorginho, Ruben Lofus-Cheek and Mateo Kovacic this year. They are due to sign Tyler Adams from Leeds for £20m and have failed with a £48m bid for Southampton’s Roméo Lavia, who was also a Liverpool target. Chelsea missed out to PSG in the race to sign Manuel Ugarte from Sporting Lisbon.
Liverpool are also strengthening in midfield, having lost Jordan Henderson, James Milner and Fabinho. They have signed Alexis Mac Allister from Brighton and Dominik Szoboszlai from RB Leipzig. Chelsea host Jürgen Klopp’s side on Sunday.