Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has confirmed that the Reds have reached an agreement to sign Brighton and Hove Albion star midfielder Moises Caicedo this summer.
Despite accepting a British-record transfer fee, Klopp admitted that the club does not possess unlimited financial resources.
The Reds outbid Chelsea’s prolonged pursuit of Caicedo by offering £110 million, whereas their opponent’s bid was £100 million.
Jürgen Klopp: “I got told I can confirm the Moisés Caicedo deal is agreed with the club”. 🚨🔴 #LFC
“With the player, we will have to see. Medical today? I can’t tell you, I don’t know”.
“We give it a go and the club have really stretched it to be honest”. pic.twitter.com/N0A95oTPLn
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 11, 2023
During a press conference before their season opener against Chelsea, Klopp announced the deal for Caicedo had been finalised but downplayed discussions about the club’s financial capabilities.
As quoted by the Liverpool Echo, the manager said:
“First and foremost, I was told I can confirm the deal with the club is agreed. We are a club that does not have endless resources but we didn’t expect a couple of things to happen: Hendo, Fab and stuff like this. The club was really stretched. Besides that, I will not and cannot share [Caicedo details]. Let’s see what happens.”
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Despite Liverpool outbidding Chelsea with a £100 million offer, the Blues were still optimistic about securing a deal for Caicedo. Brighton’s Chairman, Tony Bloom, had set the minimum selling price at that threshold.
While personal terms are yet to be finalised, it’s expected to be a straightforward process. The midfielder and his agent were in West London, awaiting developments in the competitive bidding situation.
Liverpool are expected to offer higher wages to the South American star compared to Chelsea’s previous offer.
Despite the Blue’s four rejected offers, they made a £100 million bid on Thursday night and seemed to be leading the race for Caicedo’s signature.
Meanwhile, Liverpool maintained their interest and kept tabs on the situation from a distance.
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Liverpool’s hesitance to meet Southampton’s valuation for 19-year-old Romeo Lavia was not due to a lack of funds but rather their assessment of Lavia’s worth based on his age and experience.
Unless Chelsea can execute a stunning countermove, Caicedo is on track to become Liverpool’s third major signing this summer, following Alexis Mac Allister from Brighton and midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai from RB Leipzig.
