Moises Caicedo – The Empire of The Kop

Moises Caicedo’s agent delivers fresh statement on failed Liverpool transfer

Farrell Keeling — Tue, 05 Dec 2023 08:08:08 +0000

Liverpool, one might imagine, will be quietly pleased that their efforts to land Moises Caicedo this summer were thwarted.

The Reds went on to sign Ryan Gravenberch and Wataru Endo instead, with the recruitment team completing an overhaul of the midfield department.

Ali Barat, the Ecuadorian’s agent, has since freshly reiterated the Merseysiders and Arsenal’s late interest in his client, admitting ‘it was a great experience’ in comments relayed by Fabrizio Romano on X.

Ali Barat after receiving Golden Boy Award as best agent — youngest agent at 43.

“Caicedo deal was exciting and also very tense. Before joining Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool tried to enter the race at the end… it was a great experience”. pic.twitter.com/J61pemA8gQ

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) December 5, 2023

The 22-year-old has since played 15 games for Mauricio Pochettino’s men, racking up precisely 1,030 minutes of action.

At least someone enjoyed themselves!

Good for you, Ali! At least some of us weren’t left nervously chewing our fingernails over the remainder of the summer window.

Moises Caicedo in action against old club Brighton & Hove Albion – (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)

Whilst we certainly have no regrets on our end over how the window panned out, it would be foolish to suggest that Caicedo won’t, at some stage, fulfil his lofty price tag at Stamford Bridge.

The former Brighton star was one of the most influential footballers in the Premier League last term and has far too much talent to simply be another body in English capital.

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Ian Wright suggests £173m Chelsea duo would be very much ‘needed’ at Liverpool

Liam Togher — Tue, 14 Nov 2023 14:56:05 +0000

Ian Wright has named two Chelsea players who he believes would be ‘needed’ at Liverpool if they’re to truly push for the Premier League title this season.

The Reds are second in the table and just one point behind Manchester City, who they meet in their next top-flight clash on 25 November.

The attackers in Jurgen Klopp’s squad have been magnificent since the start of the campaign, but questions remain over the presence of a truly reliable defensive midfield operator despite their summer spending.

Two players with whom Liverpool had been strongly linked were Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia, but both ended up joining Chelsea for £115m and £58m respectively in August.

Speaking on the Kelly and Wrighty Show, Wright said: “When you look at them, they have got Salah, Nunez, Gakpo, Jota and Diaz. They have 35 goals between them. That’s happening.

“The midfield is something which will probably be tested simply because of the player they said they needed, the Caicedo which they tried for, or Lavia.”

The number 6 role is perhaps the main weakness in Liverpool’s side just now, with Alexis Mac Allister largely entrusted to play in that position despite probably being more effective further forward.

Wataru Endo is a more natural fit at the base of midfield, but he’s only been handed two Premier League starts by Klopp and would likely struggle to get into the team if the Reds had a fully fit squad.

It’s therefore understandable why Wright has suggested that LFC are missing an enforcer like Caicedo or Lavia, both of whom we tried to sign in the summer but to no avail.

However, not even a £111m offer was enough to land the Ecuadorian from Brighton, while Southampton knocked back three bids from Liverpool for the Belgian after the Merseysiders refused to meet their £50m asking price (The Athletic).

Even with both players being young and Premier League proven, the fees that Chelsea paid for them seem quite excessive, and the Anfield hierarchy will feel they can find better value elsewhere.

With the Reds second in the table and 11 points ahead of Mauricio Pochettino’s side, there won’t be too much regret among Klopp and co over missing out on the £173m midfield duo, especially with Lavia having yet to even make his Blues debut due to injury.

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World Cup winner convinced Premier League powerhouse to snub Liverpool for rival top-flight club

Liam Togher — Sat, 11 Nov 2023 16:00:55 +0000

Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez has revealed that he persuaded Moises Caicedo to sign for the Blues instead of Liverpool during the summer.

The Reds had agreed a fee of £111m with Brighton to sign the Ecuador international (BBC Sport), but the west London outfit hijacked that deal with their own £115m offer and won the race for his signature (The Telegraph).

The 22-year-old’s fellow South American has said that it was he who intervened to try and persuade the £150,000-per-week powerhouse (Capology) to opt for Stamford Bridge over Anfield.

Speaking on Sky Sports’ Big Interview (via Daily Mail), 2022 World Cup winner Fernandez said: “I called and told him that he had to accept and come because Chelsea is a great and ambitious club.

“I have to thank God for giving me the chance to play alongside him at Chelsea because we all know the great player he is, but he is also a fantastic person, so I’m thankful he chose Chelsea.”

Caicedo added: “It was a nice chat. I mean, the fact that a world champion was phoning you, one of the best midfielders in the world. Receiving that call was very nice and he convinced me to come here. He said it was a great club, that there are many young players, there was a togetherness here.”

At the time of Caicedo’s move to Chelsea, it felt like a hammer blow for Liverpool to miss out on the Ecuadorian, with the Reds having been desperately trying to sign a defensive midfielder in the wake of Fabinho and Jordan Henderson leaving for Saudi Arabia.

Wataru Endo and Ryan Gravenberch subsequently came through the door at Anfield, although it’s Alexis Mac Allister who’s occupied the number 6 role for most of the season so far.

The £115m midfielder has had a decent if unspectacular start to life at Stamford Bridge, carving out a place in Mauricio Pochettino’s preferred starting XI but ranking just 11th in WhoScored‘s overall performance metrics among the Blues’ squad.

He cost more than three times what Liverpool paid to Bayern Munich for the Dutchman, who’s plundered two goals and two assists in his first 13 games for the Reds (Transfermarkt) and given some masterful performances.

It mightn’t have felt like it at the time, but Fernandez’s intervention to persuade Caicedo to join him at Chelsea may actually have been a blessing in disguise for Jurgen Klopp’s side.

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‘Lucky escape’: Telegraph journo says Liverpool lucked out by not signing two players this summer

Farrell Keeling — Tue, 31 Oct 2023 09:38:28 +0000

Luke Edwards lauded the transformative work that took place in the summer to rejuvenate Liverpool’s midfield, with the Reds enjoying a ‘lucky escape’ in their failure to land Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia.

The Belgian had been initially thought to be close to the top of the agenda for the Merseysiders. However, a late swoop for the Ecuadorian proved catastrophic for their chances of signing either.

“They had a lucky escape with Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia,” the Telegraph journalist spoke on BBC Radio 5 Live (via BBC Sport).

“At the start of September I said Liverpool were back. The midfield was the area they needed to address in the summer. Now 10 games into the season, the table won’t lie and if it wasn’t for the defeat at Tottenham they would be very close to the top of the league and probably above Arsenal.

“I think Liverpool are back and it bodes really well. It was really smart recruitment in the end to address those problems in midfield.”

The former Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder has since struggled to replicate his impact at Stamford Bridge, whilst his fellow new signing has spent much of the season in the treatment room.

Both will turn out good, but full credit to Liverpool

We’re under no illusions about the quality of the aforementioned duo, who will surely realise their potential at some point.

That said, there can be absolutely no regrets over how we handled ourselves despite suffering such significant setbacks. Indeed, both Ryan Gravenberch and Wataru Endo are proving astute additions beyond Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister.

Liverpool had one major challenge to overcome in the summer window – one hardly helped by the sudden departures of Fabinho and Jordan Henderson – and it’s fair to say that our recruitment team have more or less nailed it!

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(Image) Moises Caicedo gets away with carbon copy challenge Curtis Jones got a red card for

Wash N'Gog — Sat, 28 Oct 2023 17:39:03 +0000

Someone make it make sense. How on earth was Moises Caicedo NOT sent off for a challenge that saw studs strike a Brentford player’s ankle?

It’s utterly baffling given that we, as Liverpool fans, had been told that Curtis Jones’ tackle on Yves Bissouma, accidental or no, was worthy of a red card upon review by VAR, despite Simon Hooper initially awarding a yellow card.

The Premier League is just rife with officiating inconsistencies at the minute, isn’t it?

At least the poor call didn’t cost Brentford in their 2-0 win over the Blues at Stamford Bridge.

You can catch the match still below, courtesy of Redmen TV:

But Jones’ was a red pic.twitter.com/lCbFcti2FK

— The Redmen TV (@TheRedmenTV) October 28, 2023

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‘Reaction’ Liverpool signing won’t be happy with BBC pundit’s claim as Caicedo & Lavia point made – opinion

Farrell Keeling — Tue, 10 Oct 2023 14:31:54 +0000

Phil McNulty has suggested that Liverpool’s signing of Wataru Endo was merely a ‘reaction’ addition after the Reds failed to land either one of Moises Caicedo or Romeo Lavia.

The Japanese international has enjoyed limited minutes in the English top-flight, with Alexis Mac Allister favoured over him for the No.6 role against former club Brighton and Hove Albion.

“I am sure Klopp thought he was good enough otherwise he wouldn’t have signed him, but I think he was a reaction to missing out on Caicedo and Lavia,” the pundit wrote in a Q&A for BBC Sport. “He may come good in time, and it’s early days, but I do agree with the general consensus that Liverpool have not yet found a solution to their need for a high-quality midfielder to sit in front of the back four.”

The ex-Seagulls man struggled in his first return to the South Coast since departing the Amex Stadium back in the summer window for the greener pastures of Anfield.

It certainly raises questions as to why Endo wasn’t given the nod to come in and shield the backline – especially after Jurgen Klopp had hooked the 30-year-old at half-time, hinting at potential minutes in the league.

If there isn’t yet enough trust in our holding midfield signing to play in the big games, why on earth wasn’t he given the whole, or most, of the game against Royal Union Saint-Gilloise to build up his bank of minutes at Liverpool and help with that process?

We’re more than happy for signings to be bedded in in their own time, particularly when it comes to such challenging positions as the holding six, though it will surely be frustrating for the ex-Stuttgart skipper (reaction signing or no) to see such commentary given he’s hardly put a foot wrong when handed a chance.

Meanwhile, it seems we’re putting an inordinate amount of pressure on Mac Allister’s shoulders to conduct a role he’s not 100% comfortable with, as was evidenced by Brighton’s first goal of the game at the weekend.

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‘Klopp texted him…’ – Agent’s revelation shows how much Liverpool boss wanted 21y/o at Anfield

Liam Togher — Thu, 05 Oct 2023 16:17:59 +0000

The agent of a player who was close to signing for Liverpool in the summer has revealed that Jurgen Klopp personally texted his client to try and bring him to Anfield.

In August, the Reds had agreed a £111m fee to sign Moises Caicedo from Brighton (BBC Sport), but the 21-year-old instead preferred a move to Chelsea, who he swiftly joined for £115m (The Telegraph).

The Ecuador midfielder’s representative Manuel Sierra was speaking to Futbol sin Cassette about the chain of events which ultimately led to the player signing for the Stamford Bridge club, but not before the LFC manager tried to take matters in his own hands.

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The agent said: “Liverpool were always interested in Moisés. Even Klopp wrote to Moisés with Brighton’s permission but we were clear at all times, as long as Chelsea equalled what Liverpool could do with Brighton and, as I say, they surpassed it.

“Liverpool was always interested in Moises. In fact, Klopp texted him with the permission of Brighton but we had it clear at all times, as long as Chelsea matched Liverpool’s offer with Brighton — and they did.

“It was a tough situation. We gave our word to Chelsea but Liverpool came out of nowhere with a more stable project than Chelsea’s, long-term project, and at that time, both Moises and myself, we were dizzy.”

In words which seemed to express regret at snubbing the Reds, Sierra added: “It is very complicated. Imagine that Jurgen Klopp is writing to you, that Liverpool is calling you.

“We are talking about something very big, that is, one of the best teams in the world, just like Chelsea, and with a more established and more stabilised project than what Chelsea have today, which is a very ambitious project with a view to two, three years ahead.”

Only Caicedo can answer for sure as to which club he preferred deep down to join, but Sierra’s startling revelations may suggest that the midfielder’s head could well have been turned by the approach from Klopp.

Whereas the German is closing in on eight years as Liverpool manager, a period which has yielded plenty of tangible success, Chelsea have lurched through four permanent bosses since the beginning of 2021, with the bulk of the Champions League-winning squad from that year having now left the Blues.

However, it’d appear that the Ecuadorian and his agent had already given their word to the west Londoners before the Reds came calling, and once Mauricio Pochettino’s side sent through a superior bid, the matter was settled.

Caicedo hasn’t had the most ideal of starts to his Chelsea career, conceding a penalty on his debut for the club, who find themselves in the bottom half of the Premier League, whereas the Merseysiders are still just two points off the summit despite their controversial defeat to Tottenham last weekend.

Having made four midfield signings of the own during the summer transfer window, Liverpool certainly didn’t wallow in regret to any great degree over the unsuccessful pursuit of the 21-year-old.

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‘That was the comedy’ – Caicedo’s agent makes startling claim about failed Liverpool pursuit

Liam Togher — Thu, 05 Oct 2023 09:42:44 +0000

Moises Caicedo’s agent has shared an astounding insight into one particular chain of events involving Liverpool’s futile pursuit of the player during the summer transfer window.

The Reds were hotly linked with the Ecuador midfielder and had even agreed a £111m fee to sign him on the eve of the 2023/24 season (BBC Sport), only for the 21-year-old to opt for a £115m move to Chelsea instead (The Telegraph).

His agent Manuel Sierra has now given an extraordinary interview to Futbol sin Cassette in which he told of how he and the player were instructed by his former club Brighton to go to Merseyside for a medical, even though no agreement has been struck at that point.

Caicedo’s representative outlined: “Liverpool was always interested in Moi. The truth is, we had meetings during those months from January to May. But after May, we never heard anything more.

“The first thing we were told is ‘Tomorrow, you have to go to Liverpool for a medical’. Of course, what’s our reaction going to be if we haven’t negotiated, haven’t talked, haven’t seen anything at all?

“We knew where things could happen because we were talking with them until May. In the end, our side and the player’s side were not a problem, but the problem was Brighton.

“When they told us ‘You can go to Liverpool tomorrow’, our reaction was ‘Okay, but do you understand why?’ That was the comedy. In other words, they told us to go for a medical examination with Liverpool without having an agreement, without giving the green light.

“Even [Jurgen] Klopp wrote to Moises with Brighton’s permission and all, but Moises was clear all along, and we were clear all along that if Chelsea matched or offered the same conditions that Liverpool could with Brighton, as I said, they surpassed it. So there were no complaints.”

The transfer saga surrounding Caicedo was one of the most dramatic of the summer. Think back to that Friday when the Premier League started, when Liverpool thought they had him, only for the 21-year-old to opt for Chelsea instead after they came in with a slightly higher offer.

It felt like a hammer blow for the Reds at the time, as we were still trying to bring in a specialist holding midfielder following Fabinho’s exit to Saudi Arabia, but the subsequent signings of Wataru Endo and Ryan Gravenberch helped to fill that void.

The Ecuadorian hasn’t had the most ideal beginning to life at Stamford Bridge, conceding a penalty in his first game (a 3-1 loss to West Ham) and being involved in two home defeats amid the Blues’ slow start to the campaign.

For just over half the price that Chelsea paid for Caicedo, Liverpool snared Dominik Szoboszlai from RB Leipzig, and the 22-year-old has been a revelation at Anfield, wowing the Kop with wonder goals against Aston Villa and Leicester and evoking comparisons to Steven Gerrard with his performances.

While it might sound hugely revisionist, we’d safely assume that Klopp isn’t losing too much sleep over the Ecuador international snubbing the Reds when they’d already landed the Hungarian genius.

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Agent finally reveals why client rejected Liverpool move in £116m transfer

Peter Kenny Jones — Sat, 23 Sep 2023 13:49:16 +0000

Moises Caicedo was close to becoming our most expensive signing in history this summer but Chelsea were the team who won his services and now the player’s agent has spoken publicly about the transfer for the first time.

Speaking with SPORTITALIA (translated) agent Andrea Pellegatti discussed the price for the midfielder: “116 million pounds, equivalent to 133 million euros. The result of long work on the player, who quickly progressed in England after moving to Belgium. With De Zerbi he exploded and then we arrived at Chelsea and Liverpool who they fought over it…

“The amount paid is not random. It was finalised in the last few hours, but the boy only wanted Chelsea, who had started to show their interest consistently since January.”

It’s certainly not much of a secret that we were involved in the fight for the 21-year-old but it was a deal with Brighton and never the player, which was the main issue.

Whether the Ecuadorian and his parent club will already be having doubts about each other following a poor start to the season, is another issue but it does seem like we may have got the better end of the deal.

Although the trio of Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister and the now former Seagull would have been a formidable unit – we have sided with the alternatives of Wataru Endo and Ryan Gravenberch instead.

It’s a positive too though that it seems we didn’t have a chance of convincing the midfielder to make Anfield his new home and this was down to a consistent interest from Mauricio Pochettino’s side.

Although that’s not the best update to hear, it’s not down to a lack of investment in the player or them being repulsed by the idea of representing the Reds.

£116 million is a huge fee for any player though and perhaps we will look back on this as a bullet dodged in the years to come, as well as a chance to save some money for the owners!

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Alan Shearer says ‘criticism’ of Liverpool over failed summer move would’ve been ‘tough’ to take

Liam Togher — Mon, 18 Sep 2023 20:38:33 +0000

Alan Shearer has said that Liverpool shipped ‘criticism’ over their failure to sign Moises Caicedo during the summer transfer window.

On the eve of the Premier League season starting, the Reds had agreed a fee of £111m with Brighton to sign the Ecuador midfielder (BBC Sport), only for him to then opt for a £115m move to Chelsea instead (The Telegraph).

However, while the Blues have only accrued five points from as many top-flight matches so far, leaving them 14th in the table, Jurgen Klopp’s team sit third after four wins and a draw.

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live Sport, Shearer said that Liverpool would’ve found it ‘tough’ to take losing out on the 21-year-old when he moved to Stamford Bridge, but feels that they’ll look at how they’ve since recovered from that blow as a real fillip.

The Premier League’s all-time record goalscorer stated: “It probably was a bit of a frustrating transfer window for them because two of their main targets they couldn’t get, with Caicedo going to Chelsea.

“It was a tough one for them to take because they also got a little bit of criticism for the way they went around it. So, to start the way they have done, then I think it’s another positive.”

When Caicedo snubbed Liverpool in favour of Chelsea, it would’ve come as a hammer blow to the Reds, who at the time had only made two signings in the summer transfer window and were about to face Mauricio Pochettino’s team in their Premier League opener.

However, with the two sides having sharply contrasting starts to the season and Klopp subsequently adding two other midfielders in Wataru Endo and Ryan Gravenberch, we swiftly moved on from the disappointment of missing out on the Ecuadorian.

The £115m man has started just twice for the Blues since his big-money move last month (Transfermarkt), whereas Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai have been constants in the LFC midfield, with the latter looking especially impressive.

Those two were signed for less than what Caicedo cost Chelsea, and while it’s still too early in the midfielders’ respective careers at their new clubs to pass any definitive judgements, the initial signs are that Liverpool pulled off the much better business of the two.

Even if any criticism the Reds shipped at the time of the transfer was understandable considering the state of affairs in mid-August, it’s now starting to look like the Ecuadorian’s snub was a blessing in disguise.

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One image from Thursday night international clash will have Liverpool fans grinning with glee

Liam Togher — Fri, 08 Sep 2023 09:26:30 +0000

One perfectly-timed image from the opening round of South America’s 2026 World Cup qualifiers on Thursday night is doing the rounds on social media and is set to leave Liverpool fans grinning from ear to ear.

The Reds kicked off their summer transfer activity by signing Alexis Mac Allister from Brighton for an initial £35m in June and had a deal agreed for his former Seagulls teammate Moises Caicedo two months later (BBC Sport).

However, the latter instead chose to join Chelsea in an eye-watering £115m move (The Athletic) in what felt like a hammer blow for the Merseysiders at the time, but his difficult start to life at Stamford Bridge has already raised questions over the fee paid for him.

The one-time clubmates were in opposition to each other overnight as, nine months on from winning the 2022 World Cup, Argentina kicked off their bid to reach the 2026 finals with a 1-0 win over Ecuador.

During the game, in an image shared by ESPN UK on social media, Mac Allister left Caicedo grounded, with the Blues midfielder vainly attempting to stop the Liverpool man by grabbing hold of his shirt.

Of course it’s far too simplistic to use one photograph to judge the players’ respective performances, but Sofascore ratings of 7.4 for Mac Allister and 6.2 for the 21-year-old illustrate which of the two had more of an impact on the game.

Despite the Argentina playing for slightly fewer minutes than the Ecuadorian, he completed far more passes (65 v 19), took far more touches (85 v 49) and won more tackles (three v one) than the Chelsea man.

It’s no wonder Liverpool fans will feel they got the far better deal from Brighton this summer in comparison to the west Londoners.

You can see the image of Mac Allister and Caicedo below, via @ESPNUK on Twitter/X:

Moises Caicedo coming up against Alexis Mac Allister during World Cup qualifiers pic.twitter.com/AT5QXzWbbC

— ESPN UK (@ESPNUK) September 8, 2023

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Liverpool fans may be surprised by current Klopp player with same value as Moises Caicedo

Max Rudd — Thu, 07 Sep 2023 12:20:29 +0000

Liverpool were involved in a surprising transfer saga during the summer transfer window which saw them agree a deal to sign Moises Caicedo from Brighton only for the player to instead opt for a move to Chelsea.

The Ecuador international was sold to the Stamford Bridge outfit for a whopping £115m but fresh valuations from CIES Football Observatory (via Rousing The Kop) show that Jurgen Klopp’s side shouldn’t be too disappointed because they already have a player with the same value as the 21-year-old.

Although Chelsea splashed over £100m to secure Caicedo’s signature the former Brighton man is actually only valued at €60m (£51.5m) – the same as Liverpool’s Harvey Elliott.

There’s no denying that the Ecuadorian is a quality player but these latest valuations just go to show how much Chelsea overpaid to get him to the capital.

Despite missing out on one of our targets Liverpool completed four midfield signings this summer. Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, Wataru Endo and Ryan Gravenberch were all signed for a combined £145m which emphasises the stunning business the Reds have completed.

Klopp’s midfield now appears to be full of energy, creativity and composure while the likes of Curtis Jones, Elliott and Thiago Alcantara help ensure there’s plenty of depth to allow us to compete on all four fronts this term.

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‘It was done’ – Liverpool were involved in what Romano dubbed ‘craziest saga of the summer’

Liam Togher — Tue, 05 Sep 2023 15:00:02 +0000

Fabrizio Romano has cited Liverpool’s unsuccessful pursuit of now-Chelsea midfielder Moises Caicedo as the ‘craziest saga’ of the summer transfer window.

A frantic 48-hour period on the opening weekend of the Premier League season saw the Reds agree a £111m deal with his then-employers Brighton, as subsequently confirmed by Jurgen Klopp (BBC Sport).

However, it soon emerged that the 21-year-old’s preference was a move to west London, and with the Blues duly offering £115m for him (The Telegraph), they eventually prevailed in a chaotic transfer race.

Reflecting on the summer window in his Daily Briefing for Caught Offside, Romano claimed: “Caicedo… was probably the craziest saga of the summer, though there were a lot to choose from. He was almost a Liverpool player for maybe 12 hours, as everything was agreed with Brighton.

“It was done, they were preparing documents and waiting for the player to travel for medical tests and complete what would have been a club-record signing for Liverpool. It was really close, but then Caicedo decided in a strong way and sent a clear message that he preferred to go to Chelsea.

“It was a big surprise because Liverpool were expecting Caicedo to join, and Jurgen Klopp even mentioned the deal being close in a press conference. So to see something like that is unusual in the transfer market and it was not easy to report on for those 48 hours.”

Thinking back to that opening week of the season when Liverpool went from looking like they’d got their man before he abruptly threw a spanner in the works by stating his preference for Chelsea, it’s telling that Romano dubbed it the craziest transfer saga of a wild summer dominated by Saudi Pro League plot twists.

It felt like a hammer blow for the Reds at the time, as they’d only signed two players at that point and were still desperately seeking a defensive midfield replacement for Fabinho. It also came on the eve of them travelling to Stamford Bridge for their first match of the Premier League campaign.

However, in proof positive that three-and-a-half weeks can seem like an eternity in football, LFC supporters will probably feel a whole lot better about their lot now compared to their west London counterparts.

While Liverpool subsequently brought in two more players to strengthen their CDM options and started the season with 10 points from a possible 12, Chelsea have only garnered four points from as many games, with the expensive Ecuadorian giving away a costly penalty on his debut for the club.

Hindsight is 20/20 vision, of course, but it’s hard not to break into a wry smile when looking at how our summer transfer activity has turned out so far in comparison to that conducted by Mauricio Pochettino and Todd Boehly in the capital.

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Liverpool fans react to yet another Caicedo mistake resulting in Chelsea defeat

Mehdi Gokal — Sat, 02 Sep 2023 19:24:41 +0000

Moises Caicedo has experienced a challenging start to his Chelsea career.

Caicedo’s decision to reject Liverpool in favor of Chelsea in a mega £115 million deal, despite Liverpool having a fee agreed with Brighton, stirred controversy and left a bitter taste between the clubs and their supporters.

Which is why Liverpool supporters are loving his nightmare start to Chelsea. He gave away a clumsy penalty in his debut against West Ham which allowed Paqueta to seal a 3-1 win over them.

And earlier today against Nottingham Forest, he was responsible for Forest scoring the only goal of the game. A mix up between him and Conor Gallagher followed by a heavy touch resulted in him giving away the ball to the away side.

Taiyo Awoniyi picked up the ball and ran at Thiago Silva eluding a couple of challenge before sliding the ball through to Elanga who calmly slotted it away to win it for Forest.

Anthony Elanga runs right by Chelsea's defense and scores for Forest!

@USANetwork pic.twitter.com/0QM0FWrBgr

— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) September 2, 2023

Caicedo is undoubtedly a talented player who will likely find his footing in time but we will shamelessly celebrate every single mistake he makes till then.

pic.twitter.com/cSFvFQs5e7

— – (@AnfieldRd96) September 2, 2023

Mac Allister + Szoboszlai + Gravenberch + Endo = £145m

Caicedo + Lavia = £170m

Caicedo has cost his team twice and Lavia has not even made the bench. Money isn’t everything. pic.twitter.com/pvSe9UC1CS

— Samuel (@SamueILFC) September 2, 2023

Chelsea bought Lavia so he could have front row seats to Caicedo's weekly disasterclass pic.twitter.com/JxovlauxGK

— MB (@MrBoywunder) September 2, 2023

Caicedo’s highlights for Chelsea.

𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐞 1: Gave away penalty against West Ham on his debut.

𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐞 2: Lost ball against Nottingham Forest, where they lost the game 1-0.

Life comes at you fast.

— – (@AnfieldRd96) September 2, 2023

The post Liverpool fans react to yet another Caicedo mistake resulting in Chelsea defeat appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

The text message LFC transfer transfer target sent Klopp before brutal snub

Farrell Keeling — Wed, 23 Aug 2023 12:57:11 +0000

It would take quite something to steer away a potential Liverpool target from an Anfield switch – especially after a personal message from Jurgen Klopp.

Yet, that is exactly what happened with then Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Moises Caicedo, whose camp (after months of groundwork, it’s worth noting) had been already well and truly convinced by the Chelsea project and finances on the table.

“Moises Caicedo had just sent a text message explaining that, though he appreciated Liverpool’s desire to buy him, he did not want a move to Anfield and was only looking to join Chelsea,” a series of reporters wrote for The Athletic.

A far cry from the days of the Reds luring Luis Diaz away at the last minute of the January transfer window two years ago amid Tottenham’s pursuit of the Colombian.

One can only imagine just how perplexed the manager would have been after, surely, having been given some reassurance over the likelihood of the player blowing off the Stamford Bridge-based outfit in favour of a move up north.

It wasn’t meant to be and the repercussions were equally devastating, as Romeo Lavia was also pinched despite weeks of Liverpool being assured they were firmly in the lead for the player’s signature.

It’s led to a revaluation, post-Endo, of what our midfield needs from the window.

A multi-functional midfielder is now the prime target, with the Japanese international looking less stop-gap and more a commitment that will, at the very least, ensure that Stefan Bajcetic’s pathway is not blocked.

#Ep86 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: EOTK Insider with Neil Jones

The post The text message LFC transfer transfer target sent Klopp before brutal snub appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.