Liverpool Beats Chelsea In The Race To Sign Moises Caicedo From Brighton For A British-Record Transfer

 Liverpool have reached an agreement  with Brighton for the signing of Moises Caicedo, in what is a British-record transfer fee.

The fee is understood to be worth £110m ($140m/€127m), for the talented midfielder Caicedo, outbidding Premier League rivals Chelsea by £10m extra in the race for the Ecuadorian signature, while German giants Bayern Munich indicated they would pay £90m.

Brighton had set a deadline for midnight on Thursday for bids to come in, and provided their valuation was met, they would go with the highest bidder for a player they signed just for £4.5m from Independiente del Valle in 2021.

Following the exit skipper Jordan Henderson, and defensive midfielder Fabinho to Saudi Arabia too, it became very clear that Liverpool needed to sign a replacement urgently.

Interestingly, Southampton's Romeo Lavia had been the name on the lips of every Liverpool fans this week, with Chelsea entering the picture and tabling a £48m bid. But it appears Jurgen Klopp side have done the same in reverse to the Stamford Bridge outfit by quickly moving for Caicedo and potentially getting their target man, for a British transfer record .

The Reds formally submitted their proposal late on Thursday night after Caicedo indicated his willingness to move to Anfield.

Liverpool were informed just after midnight that they were indeed the highest bidders. Personal terms with Caicedo have been agreed and planning for all the formalities of a transfer are now in motion.

He is set to undergo his medical on Friday, In order to be eligible for Liverpool's opening fixture of the new season, which is, of course, against Chelsea on Sunday at Stamford Bridge.

David Ornstein wrote in the Athletic; "Brighton held an auction with a midnight cut-off on Thursday, with Liverpool the highest bidders. Chelsea’s bid for the 21-year-old was up to £100m,"

"Personal terms are yet to be agreed between Caicedo and Liverpool, but are expected to be a formality, with a medical planned for Friday."

Back during last season's January transfer window, Arsenal registered their interest and Became the frontrunner in acquiring Moises Caicedo, but the Seagulls owner Tony Bloom battled off every advances at the time, and even turned down a £70m bid from the Gunners.

Arsenal then signed fellow defensive midfielder Declan Rice less than six months later from West Ham United, which made Chelsea emerged as the favourites to snap up Caicedo.

With Mason Mount, Mateo Kovacic, N’Golo Kante and Ruben Loftus-Cheek all departing West London, Chelsea have been left with a gaping void in midfield.

This transfer fee for Caicedo breaks the Merseyside club's transfer record of £75m for Virgil van Dijk back in 2018.

It also shatters the British record fee, an accolade previously held by Chelsea when they splashed £107m on Enzo Fernandez last January.

Caicedo sitting alongside his former Brighton's teammate Alexis Mac Allister and new signing Dominik Szoboszlai gives Jurgen Klopp's side a major boost in their quest for more silverware.