Brighton and Hove Albion’s CEO Paul Barber insists Premier League rivals Liverpool ‘could not have done any more’ to sign Moises Caicedo before his £115 million move to Chelsea.
With Moises Caicedo putting pen to paper at Stamford Bridge on Monday night – and with Chelsea closing in on Southampton’s Romeo Lavia too – Liverpool may feel as if the Blues have just stolen their girlfriend and keyed their car for good measure.
Not only have Mauricio Pochettino’s side snatched Caicedo from under Jurgen Klopp’s nose, they are also on the verge of agreeing a deal for a player Liverpool had made three bids for with Lavia also in his way to West London.
Liverpool, according to Sky Sports, have finally agreed a £60 million fee with Southampton. But Lavia, like Caicedo, has chosen blue over red; Chelsea’s pulling power seemingly undiminished by last season’s dismal 12th place finish.
Chelsea beat Liverpool to Moises Caicedo
Barber, meanwhile, tells talkSPORT that Liverpool did everything in their power to lure Caicedo to Merseyside. The Reds even offered a British record fee of £111 million before Todd Boehly again dipped into his seemingly bottomless supply of transfer funds.
“Liverpool is a fantastic football club,” Barber says (15 August, 12pm). “For any footballer to have a chance to play at Anfield, you would imagine that they would be running up the M6.
“But it was not to be.
“Moises and his advisors decided that London was their preferred destination. Liverpool could not have done any more. They were superb and professional throughout.
“But, then, it comes down to the player.”
After missing out on Mason Mount, Jude Bellingham and now Caicedo – with Lavia also set to slip through Klopp’s grasp – there appears a very real chance that Liverpool could soon find themselves fighting for a Champions League spot without midfield lighter on numbers than it was last season, despite the signings of both Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai.
Real Madrid, meanwhile, have no interest in cashing in on Aurelien Tchouameni (The Athletic).
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