Liverpool is on the verge of breaking the club record. The Reds have reached an agreement with Brighton & Hove Albion for the transfer of Moisés Caicedo, which is set to fetch nearly 130 million euros.
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For a long time, it appeared that Chelsea would secure Caicedo's signing this summer. However, Brighton held its ground and turned down multiple offers from The Blues. Meanwhile, Liverpool shifted its focus to Roméo Lavia. Eventually, the fifth-placed team from last season did not meet Southampton's conditions for the Belgian midfielder, which demanded 58 million euros.
Liverpool then turned its attention to Brighton, where they had already picked up Alexis Mac Allister earlier this summer. According to the BBC, The Reds dug deep into their pockets and managed to persuade Brighton. The surprise of the previous season agreed to a bid of over 128 million euros for Caicedo. This means that the 21-year-old midfielder has been cleared for his medical examination in the English port city.
Transfer record
Interestingly, Caicedo had set his sights on a move to Chelsea. According to the BBC, it remains to be seen whether that club can match or surpass Liverpool's bid. For now, it seems that the Ecuadorian is heading to Anfield. If that happens, Liverpool will break its own transfer record. In the history of football, only Neymar, Kylian Mbappé, Philippe Coutinho, Ousmane Dembélé, and João Felix have moved for a higher amount.
Remarkably, Manchester United intended to sign Caicedo in 2020 from Ecuador. Independiente del Valle demanded six million euros and a twenty percent sell-on fee. However, the transfer did not materialize, and that's when Brighton swooped in. According to the latest reports, The Seagulls will have to pay a significant sell-on fee to Ecuador. Independiente del Valle is said to be entitled to a whopping 42 million euros from the transfer fee.
As fate would have it, Chelsea and Liverpool are also engaged in an on-field battle on Sunday. Both top clubs kick off the season at 5:30 PM on Stamford Bridge.
