Liverpool intentions emerge on Moises Caicedo as source claims sale will happen and Arsenal stand by
The chances of Liverpool and Arsenal signing Moises Caicedo still remains a strong possibility this summer, despite the midfielder recently penning a new deal at Brighton.
The Ecuadorian midfielder has made a sizeable impact since his breakthrough into the Seagulls midfielder. And despite only having 36 appearances for the south-coast club to his name, demand for his services is high.
Indeed, offers from first Chelsea and then Arsenal in the January transfer window really tested Brighton’s resolve. Ultimately, though, they stood firm in the wake of that interest, swatting away the Gunners’ approach which topped £70m.
And in order to protect their interests around the player, Brighton have since rewarded the star with a new contract. That new deal sees the star now earn around £60,000 a week. And it also ties Caicedo down to a deal until summer 2027, with his previous arrangement expiring in 2025.
However, a summer sale remains a strong possibility despite the new deal.
And Fabrizio Romano, speaking to his YouTube channel, believes the contract extension was signed only to give Brighton more protection.
“He’s signed a new deal with Brighton and it’s a really important one for the club because it means they can now be stronger in their negotiations with him. They turned down £55m from Chelsea, then £70m, with add-ons included, from Arsenal in January,” Romano said.
“What happened is that they gave the new contract to Moises Caicedo following that situation. This was part of the agreement between Caicedo and Brighton to change his salary on the back of that interest. The pay-rise was absolutely deserved.”
READ MORE: Brighton star still enticed by Arsenal move as £90m talk begins to resurface
Moises Caicedo still likely to move this summer
However, Romano is adamant that the 21-year-old will still be the subject of plenty of interest this summer.
“The expectation is that big clubs will come back again in the summer. Things will happen again around the player again in the summer.
“Of course, Brighton will be stronger in their negotiations as a result of this new contract. There is no release clause in the contract, so this is very much one to watch in the summer for sure.”
That is a view also shared by another trusted journalist in Ben Jacobs.
However, he is adamant that it won’t just be Arsenal coming back in for him.
Writing for Caught Offside, he claims Liverpool and Newcastle are also in the mix for his signature.
And discussing Liverpool’s intentions, he claims Caicedo is on their list, though he is not their No 1 priority.
“With Caicedo, keep an eye on Newcastle as well. Liverpool would need the price to drop from January to seriously consider entering the race,” Jacobs added.
“They have tracked Caicedo since his time at Independiente del Valle and now the agent situation is less complicated, they can’t be entirely discounted.
“Liverpool are looking at many midfielders, including Wolves’ Matheus Nunes. And their big push (in terms of desire and finances) will be for Jude Bellingham, where confidence remains despite heavy competition.”
Brighton to milk star’s asking price
Discussing Caicedo’s valuation, Jacobs claims there are some concerns over his potential price.
However, he is adamant Brighton will try and sell him for all they can should talks progress.
“Those familiar with Caicedo talks in January still maintain he should be worth less than the £70m guaranteed fee Real Madrid paid Monaco for Aurelien Tchouameni. But Brighton will milk the inflated market if they do choose to finally engage.”
