As Liverpool continues efforts to sign Brighton’s Moisés Caicedo ahead of Chelsea, there are four reasons why he should prioritize joining Jürgen Klopp’s side
In one of Liverpool’s most dramatic transfer sagas of football’s social media era, the battle for the signature of Brighton midfielder Moisés Caicedo might not even be resolved before kick-off against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
With the latest updates on transfers now faster than ever, the past few days have been among the busiest for the Reds recruitment team, as what looked like a breakthrough in the early hours of Friday morning in the UK led to further uncertainty later in the day.
While three points provide no better way to start the season for those on the pitch, Liverpool’s match against Chelsea has already begun off of it, with Fabrizio Romano indicating that Caicedo would prefer a move to west London, but no breakthrough yet with the Stamford Bridge side regarding a transfer fee.
Despite the potential of Brighton changing their stance on the midnight deadline they implemented on Thursday, there are clear reasons why the Ecuador international should be favoring a move to Anfield. Liverpool.com has taken a look at some here that also apply to other players who might have a similar choice in the future… perhaps even Roméo Lavia.
Jürgen Klopp
Liverpool’s manager Jürgen Klopp is established as one of the best head coaches in the world. Klopp is loyal to his first-team squad, while also getting the best out of players who may not have been valued elsewhere. As seen with how the Reds remained patient with the likes of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keïta amid injury problems, Caicedo would, of course, be afforded the same treatment.
But there are also obvious examples of how players thrive when working under the German manager. Caicedo’s energetic style in the middle of the pitch is a perfect fit for Klopp’s system, and that would only see him continue to improve toward becoming one of the best defensive midfielders in the world.
Speaking to Cadena SER, Caicedo has previously revealed his dream to play for Real Madrid. Los Blancos’ capture of Jude Bellingham this summer means there isn’t much need for them to go out and sign another star midfielder any time soon, having also acquired Aurélien Tchouaméni last year. For Caicedo’s dream to come true, though, he must be able to progress to become a recognized standout star across the world. To quicken that process, it helps if the team he joins this month is playing in Europe.
European football
Chelsea owner Todd Boehly invested millions into a project that failed to meet expectations last season. A 12th-placed finish means the Blues are the most expensive team in history to finish in the bottom half of the table, which means they won’t be playing in any European competition this year.
Of course, there is no shortage of talent in the Chelsea squad, with Enzo Fernández a planned staple in the side along with Caicedo, but with João Félix back in Spain after his loan spell with the club — and uncertainty in attack and defense — Chelsea can’t guarantee to have developed enough chemistry over the summer to challenge for the Champions League places.
Liverpool, on the other hand, are just one or two signings away from a league title challenge. The returns of Luis Díaz and Diogo Jota have given Klopp a clean bill of health heading into the opening game against Chelsea. Caicedo would join the club as a final piece of the puzzle, rather than another out-of-place part of the stack that Mauricio Pochettino still has on the table.
Stability
His undeniable potential to become one of the best stars in the Premier League means Caicedo needs stability more than ever at this stage of his career. The seemingly endless amounts of money that Chelsea are able to spend indicates that there is little chance they will change their methods of trying to spend their way out of trouble.
Pochettino, who has proven to be a high-caliber manager in some aspects, hasn’t quite delivered to the level of the world’s best so far. His most impressive work has been when he was handed time by Tottenham Hotspur, guiding them to the Champions League final against Liverpool in 2019.
But the Argentine manager is the fifth head coach to be in the Chelsea dugout of Todd Boehly’s 15-month spell as owner. It is fair to argue that a player of Caicedo’s quality can thrive under any manager, but the constant changing of systems and structure is unhelpful for progression. Such uncertainty has seen many high-potential players — including Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne and Liverpool star Mohamed Salah — fail to blossom in West London. Should Pochettino not get off to the best start, pressure could begin to mount before Christmas.
Liverpool fans
Some have questioned the validity of the effect that Liverpool fans have, but Anfield continues to demonstrate why it is one of the most feared grounds in the world.
The Reds have consistently proven to be among the most loyal, and Caicedo’s work rate — in similarity to Darwin Núñez — would seem him quickly become a hero. He would instantly make the Liverpool midfield one of the very best out there and would get a reception off the pitch to match.
Verdict
Overall, it doesn’t look as though Caicedo is against joining Liverpool. Indications suggest that he would prefer a move to Chelsea at this time, but much of that could be down to a higher salary and the potential agent fees his representatives would receive. Aside from the economics, there are not many reasons to think that Chelsea will finish higher this season. But ultimately, the player’s agents might also have a say..
A strong argument to be made for Caicedo to join Liverpool is that there is a greater chance of him thriving under Klopp than for Pochettino. The lights of London may have swayed him so far, but with a little more time to consider his decision, there is hope that he will see why Anfield is a better destination for the next stage of his career that seems to already have eyes on the Santiago Bernabéu.
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