Liverpool and Brighton & Hove Albion have reached an agreement over the transfer of Ecuador midfielder Moises Caicedo, manager Jurgen Klopp said today as the Premier League club take a step in the right direction to address their glaring lack of depth in midfield.<\/p>\n
21-year-old Caicedo has been hotly linked with a move away from the Amex Stadium after turning in impressive performances at Brighton, making 37 appearances for the club last season as they emerged sixth and secured European football for the first time.<\/p>\n
Notably the Ecuadorean has attracted interest from several clubs in the close season window with keen suitors like Chelsea, despite reports in British media on Friday saying Liverpool had agreed a deal worth \u00a3111 million with Brighton.<\/p>\n
\u201cI can confirm the [Caicedo] deal with the club is agreed, whatever that means in the end. Of course, we want the player and not just the agreement,\u201d Klopp told reporters ahead of Sunday\u2019s season-opener at Chelsea.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t have endless resource. We didn\u2019t expect a couple of things to happen over the summer but when that happened we gave it a go. Let\u2019s see what happens and we go from there.\u201d<\/p>\n
Once the deal is sealed, Caicedo\u2019s reported transfer fee would make him the most expensive player signed by a British club, surpassing the \u00a3107 million Chelsea paid for Benfica midfielder Enzo Fernandez earlier this year.<\/p>\n
Interestingly, when speaking about Manchester United\u2019s then world record signing of Paul Pogba for \u00a389.3 million in 2016, Klopp had said then that he would approach transfer spending differently if the same resources were readily at his disposal. So, this time around when asked how he felt about those words he had uttered following the agreement for Caicedo, the unflappable German said:<\/p>\n
\u201cEverything changed. Do I like it? No. Did I realise I was wrong? Yes.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not blaming anyone but it\u2019s just the market. In the end, we as a club have to make sure that, with our resources, we get the best possible player.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe aren\u2019t in a dreamland and can\u2019t just point at a player and get them to come in. Sometimes one door closes and another opens up.\u201d<\/p>\n
The latest development in a major overhaul at Anfield following a disappointing campaign culminating in a major exodus of midfielders Jordan Henderson, Fabinho, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, James Milner and Naby Keita, Caicedo\u2019s potential signing is indicative of another hopefully positive step taken in the right direction to address the situation.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Liverpool have signed 24-year-old Argentina World Cup-winner Alexis Mac Allister and Hungary captain Dominik Szoboszlai, 22, to bolster their midfield.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have a new start with this Liverpool FC reloaded \u2014 it\u2019s an exciting thing,\u201d Klopp said. \u201cPeople wanted changes because we\u2019d been together for a long time.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid it happen at the right moment? That\u2019s difficult to answer. But now it happened and that\u2019s good.\u201d<\/p>\n
While the news surrounding Caicedo is currently dominating the headlines, Klopp stressed that the transfer would not in any way overshadow their game against Chelsea, adding that he expected the west London club to be dangerous opponents under new manager Mauricio Pochettino.<\/p>\n
\u201cPochettino is a very good manager. You can see Pochettino\u2019s play already in that team. We know what he does from Tottenham and you can see similarities,\u201d Klopp said of the ex-Spurs boss.<\/p>\n
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