Football News: Liverpool, Chelsea handed major boost in Moises Caicedo pursuit

According to reports, Liverpool and Chelsea's pursuit of Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Moises Caicedo has received a significant boost. Since becoming an important player for the Seagulls over the past 12 months. The 21-year-old has been heavily linked with a move away from the Amex Stadium.

Caicedo joined Brighton in February 2021 after being acquired for £4.5 million from Ecuadorian club. Caicedo returned to Brighton in January of last year after a brief loan with the Belgian team Beerschot during the first half of the 2020-21 campaign.

Since then, he has played frequently for the first team, scoring twice in 29 appearances across all competitions. Top European teams are rumoured to be interested in the deep-lying midfielder, including Real Madrid of La Liga and Liverpool of the Premier League.

According to a recent rumour, Chelsea has identified Caicedo as a potential target if their pursuit of Enzo Fernandez from Benfica falls through.

A different source claims that the Seagulls midfielder has expressed to pals his desire to join Liverpool and work for Jurgen Klopp.

James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, and Naby Keita are all centre-midfielders whose contracts expire at the end of the current campaign, thus the Reds are in the market for a replacement.

Caicedo has a deal with the Amex that runs through the summer of 2025, and Brighton is rumoured to have given the young player a price tag of roughly £85 million.

According to The Mirror, Brighton may now accept offers for the midfielder in the neighbourhood of £60 million plus add-ons, giving both Liverpool and Chelsea an advantage in their pursuit of Caicedo.

The club hasn't received any bids for the midfielder, according to Brighton CEO Paul Barber, who also addressed Potter's facetious remarks from last season that a £42 million deal wouldn't even be enough to purchase Caicedo's boots.

Speaking to CBS Sports, Barber said:

"I'm pleased to say we haven't had any (bids for Caicedo). Maybe Liverpool haven't got my email because I haven't seen any.

"I'm not sure £42m will even include the boots now, maybe just the laces. But joking aside, every player's value is ultimately determined by the market. Graham's comments were part in jest but part serious because Moises has been an exceptional player for us.

"Since he came to the Premier League, he has developed all the time. He's a young man with a great attitude, fantastic work ethic and a very nice human being off the pitch.

"So all those things contribute to the value of a footballer should it come to that moment to sell."

When Brighton hosts the Reds at the Amex on Saturday in the Premier League, Caicedo is anticipated to feature.

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