The agent of Moises Caicedo has stated that the midfielder “only wanted Chelsea” after Liverpool’s summer pursuit fizzled.
After what would have been a British record £111 million agreement was reached with Brighton last month, the Ecuadorian briefly appeared bound for Anfield.
After weeks of talks with Chelsea had failed to produce a move, finally came, but the London club went on to surpass Liverpool’s offer to sign the player for £115 million.
After the two teams “fought” for his signature, Caicedo’s agent, Andrea Pellegatti, stated that his client “only wanted Chelsea” in response to the Reds’ unsuccessful attempts to recruit the player.
“£116 million, which is equal to €133 million. The outcome of extensive effort on the player, who quickly advanced in England after going to Belgium,” Pellegatti said in relation to the final agreement.
He “exploded” with De Zerbi, and we then went to Chelsea and Liverpool, who got into a fight over it.
“The sum paid was not chosen at random. The boy solely wanted Chelsea, who had started to consistently express their interest since January, and it was only decided in the last few hours”.
After talks to recruit Romeo Lavia with Southampton had started to stall, Liverpool made an unexpected move for Caicedo.
After the Caicedo transfer fell through, the Reds moved their focus back to Lavia, but the Belgian also decided to leave Anfield for Stamford Bridge.
A few weeks later, Wataru Endo moved from Stuttgart to the club for £16 million before the focus changed to “multi-functional” midfield alternatives.
When Ryan Gravenberch was brought in as the fourth midfielder of the window, the summer’s business came to an end, but it’s still unclear what his long-term place in the team will be.
The trade appears to have been completed thanks to Chelsea’s long-standing interest, which led Liverpool to alter its strategy in the weeks that followed.
The midfielder has had a lackluster start to his Chelsea career thus far; however, whether the Reds will regret letting the player slip through their fingers remains to be seen.