Following three failed bids for Southampton youngster Romeo Lavia, Liverpool have pivoted and agreed terms with Brighton for Caicedo.
It comes despite competition from Chelsea, with the two clubs reported to have been set a midnight deadline by Brighton and the Reds bidding highest.
That fee, according to Sky Sports‘ Melissa Reddy, stands at £111 million – a full £1 million more than initially reported in the early hours of Friday morning.
Liverpool have also agreed to a sell-on clause with the Premier League club, though the specifics of that are as yet unknown.
In simple terms, Brighton will be entitled to a percentage of either the full fee or profit made were Caicedo to be sold to another club over the course of his contract.
The length of Caicedo’s proposed contract at Anfield has not been reported at this stage, but is likely to tie him to Liverpool until at least 2028.
While the Mirror‘s David Maddock has claimed that personal terms are yet to be discussed with the player and his representatives, that has been contended.
Both Reddy and This Is Anfield‘s David Lynch are among those to report that terms have already been agreed, while journalist Chris Williams brought word from the midfielder’s agency, Futbol Division, that talks took place in January.
Caicedo is expected to have been in contact with Jurgen Klopp on Friday morning ahead of the manager’s pre-Chelsea press conference.
After that, the 22-year-old is booked in for a medical as Liverpool push through a transfer that exceeds the British-record fee Chelsea paid to sign Enzo Fernandez in February.
Chelsea‘s bid for Caicedo, according to Reddy, was £100 million, while fellow suitors Bayern Munich were willing to pay £90 million.
There remains a slight concern that Chelsea will return with an improved offer, but Liverpool are clearly eager to get the deal over the line as soon as possible.
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