Liverpool has come to an agreement with Brighton & Hove Albion for the transfer of Moises Caicedo (21), an Ecuadorian midfielder, as confirmed by manager Jurgen Klopp on Friday. This move is aimed at addressing Liverpool’s midfield depth issues.
Caicedo’s notable performances at Brighton have sparked speculation about his potential departure from the Amex Stadium.
He made 37 appearances for the club in the previous season, contributing significantly to their sixth-place finish and their qualification for European football for the first time.
Various clubs, including Chelsea, have shown interest in the Ecuadorean midfielder during the current transfer window. However, recent reports in the British media indicate that Liverpool has secured a deal with Brighton, amounting to £111 million.
“I can confirm the Caicedo deal with the club is agreed, whatever that means in the end. Of course, we want the player and not just the agreement,” Klopp told reporters ahead of Sunday’s season-opener at Chelsea.
“We don’t have endless resources. We didn’t expect a couple of things to happen over the summer, but when they did, we gave it a go. Let’s see what happens, and we go from there.”
Caicedo’s reported transfer fee would make him the most expensive player signed by a British club, surpassing the 107 million pounds Chelsea paid for Benfica midfielder Enzo Fernandez earlier this year.
In 2016, when speaking about Manchester United’s then-world record signing of Paul Pogba for 89.3 million pounds, Klopp said he would approach transfer spending differently if he had the same resources at his disposal.
When asked how he felt about those words following the agreement for Caicedo, the German said, “Everything changed. Do I like it? No. Did I realise I was wrong? Yes.
“I’m not blaming anyone, but it’s just the market. In the end, we as a club have to make sure that, with our resources, we get the best possible player.
“We aren’t in a dreamland and can’t just point at a player and get them to come in. Sometimes one door closes and another opens up.”