I guess we can call Sunday’s Liverpool at Chelsea match the Moises Caicedo Cup. We’ve seen a lot of strange things happen over the years, in regards to the summer transfer window, but this narrative might be a new one.
Let’s break it all down and get you updated on the latest.
??Yes, Moisés #Caicedo has rejected the possibility to join Liverpool immediately as there was an agreement between the clubs. The player definitely wants to join Chelsea! A transfer to #LFC is off at this stage.
?? Understand the player is waiting for Chelsea now – as it’s up… pic.twitter.com/nXjV0vflAn
— Florian Plettenberg (@Plettigoal) August 11, 2023
Season Opener FYIs
Liverpool FC at Chelsea
Kickoff: Sunday, Aug 13, 4:30 pm, Stamford Bridge
Starting XI Prediction: Liverpool Chelsea
Ahead of the big match on Sunday, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp confirmed that his side have reached an agreement on a deal for the transfer of Caicedo.
He obviously didn’t say the monetary figure, but multiple reports claim the deal is worth £111 million ($141m), which would be a new record for transfer fee paid by a British club. Declan Rice just broke this record earlier this summer.
“I can confirm the [Moises Caicedo] deal with the club is agreed, whatever that means in the end,” Klopp told a news conference on Friday.
“Of course, we want the player and not just the agreement. We don’t have endless resource.
“We didn’t expect a couple of things to happen over the summer, but when that happened, we gave it a go. Let’s see what happens and we go from there.”
Klopp has previously been overly-critical of the transfer market’s price surges, and claimed that his rich, giant club didn’t have the resources to compete. Now he admits that his opinion has since evolved.
“Everything changed. Do I like it? No. Did I realise I was wrong? Yes,” Klopp said. “I’m not blaming anyone, but it’s just the market.
“In the end, we as a club have to make sure that, with our resources, we get the best possible player.
“We aren’t in a dreamland and can’t just point at a player and get them to come in. Sometimes one door closes and another opens up.”
However, as you can see from the embedded tweet above, via Sky Sports Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg (arguably the German Fabrizio Romano), Caicedo is rejecting Liverpool.
He only wants Chelsea. And here is this, via The Boot Room:
according to FootballTransfers, Brighton have actually been trying to secretly negotiate with Liverpool for some time and would actively prefer to deal with the Reds over Chelsea.
That has said to have enraged Caicedo, who has apparently now made it clear he only wants to join Chelsea.
Yes, things are getting uglier than they already were between Moises Caicedo and Brighton & Hove Albion, and honestly, it has been a bit ugly since the January transfer window.
Back then, the player said his official public goodbye to the club, only to have the club nix his exit. It was thought that he was joining Arsenal at the time.
Now, in the summer, Brighton will let him leave, but only for the price that they find suitable. Chelsea have reportedly already had some bids, the highest worth £90 million, knocked back.
We’ll see if they increase their bid. Meanwhile Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi is already speaking of Caicedo in the past tense, when it comes to his squad.
“I have already forgotten about Moises. I’m really proud of the players we have in the squad,” De Zerbi told a news conference on Friday.
“We want to keep improving. The credit goes to the club. Bigger clubs can buy our players but they can’t buy our soul or spirit.
“We don’t have enough [players] yet, we need to complete the squad. I want players who want to come here. We are Brighton, we achieved a big target last year — the same as Liverpool, better than Chelsea. I would like players who are proud to play in Brighton.”
Yes, the player dominating story lines in the Liverpool-Chelsea match this weekend, doesn’t even play for either team…yet.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He’s written for numerous publications, including the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. He regularly appears on NTD News and WGN News Now. Follow the website on Twitter and Instagram.