Liverpool now have a fantastic opportunity to beat Arsenal to the signing of Moises Caicedo from Brighton.
What’s the story?
Well, despite the fact Jürgen Klopp is more in need of midfield reinforcements than Mikel Arteta is, the Gunners have seen a £60m bid rejected for the Ecuador international while the Reds do nothing.
The Daily Mail believe Arsenal have upped their offer to £70m after Caicedo asked to leave, but Brighton want £80m to sell their No.25 this month.
While it seems like the Gunners are in the driving seat, we believe Liverpool may actually have a decent chance of hijacking negotiations given the circumstances.
Firstly, Brighton are said to be more likely to sell Caicedo if they can sign a new midfielder before the deadline – according to Football London.
That revelation comes just days after the Daily Mail claimed that Brighton would like to sign Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain from Liverpool.
Therefore, if the Reds match Arsenal’s £60m bid and offer to throw in the England international as well, that would take the total value of their offer closer to £80m, satisfying Brighton’s asking price while also giving them a replacement.
Of course, many Liverpool fans will be pessimistic about this happening, given the fact Fenway Sports Group are currently looking to sell the club – according to The Athletic.
Nevertheless, if there is some money to spend this month after the £35m signing of Cody Gakpo, then Liverpool must put it towards this player-plus-cash deal for Caicedo.
Liverpool risk falling behind Arsenal even more if Caicedo joins the Gunners
As things stand, Liverpool have already allowed Arsenal to leapfrog them as the Reds resist investing in the squad, while the north Londoners do the exact opposite.
After winning the Champions League in 2019, Liverpool failed to take advantage of their status as kings of Europe and have now started to slip back into mediocrity, whereas Arsenal are spending heavily to capitalise on their position atop the Premier League.
Now, if Caicedo moves to the Emirates Stadium, the gap between Arsenal and Liverpool will widen even more.
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