Liverpool were not the only Premier League giant who tried to beat Chelsea to Moises Caicedo before his record-breaking transfer with Arsenal also throwing their hat into the ring.
That is according to the Ecuador international’s representative Ali Barat, winner of the Best Agent gong at the Golden Boy awards. A prize which, by it’s mere existence, presumably turns Simon Jordan a rich tone of puce.
Barat played a major role in the deal which eventually took Moises Chelsea to Stamford Bridge in August, Chelsea agreeing an English football record £115 million fee with Brighton and Hove Albion.
It is no secret that Liverpool wanted Caicedo too. The Reds offered an eye-watering £111 million themselves before eyeing pipped to the post by The Blues, Jurgen Klopp going public and rowing back on some rather ironic comments he made when Paul Pogba joined Manchester United seven years earlier.
Liverpool and Arsenal wanted Moises Caicedo
Barat, however, claims that Arsenal made a late attempt of their own, Mikel Arteta’s side renewing their interest in a player who had been the subject of a number of bids from the London giants back in January.
“(Caicedo’s transfer) was a fantastic moment,” Barat tells Tuttosport. “The culmination of three and a half years of work. It was an exciting and also very tense moment. At the last minute, as you know, Arsenal and Liverpool also came into play.
“It was definitely a great experience.”
In truth, Arsenal do not look like a team pining for Caicedo these days. Hit-and-miss at Chelsea so far, the 22-year-old has been comfortably overshadowed by Arsenal’s very own mega-money midfielder Declan Rice.
Liverpool, second in the table, are currently Mikel Arteta’s closet challengers at the top of the division, even if there are concerns that the lack of a genuine defensive midfielder like Caicedo could eventually cost Jurgen Klopp’s side a second Premier League title.
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“Liverpool is a fantastic football club,” Brighton CEO Paul Barber told talkSPORT (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.”
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