Moises Caicedo: How Liverpool ‘out-negotiated and out-manoeuvred’ Chelsea with £110m

Liverpool ‘out-negotiated and out-manoeuvred’ Chelsea by offering more money than even Brighton thought Moises Caicedo was worth…

And now it seems that they might miss out on him anyway. But here’s Mediawatch before these latest developments…

Exactly how did Liverpool pull this off?
You might have heard that Liverpool have agreed a British record transfer fee for Moises Caicedo; but how can this be spun so that the Reds have done bloody brilliantly in the transfer market? After all, this always means more.

Liverpool have taught Chelsea something about negotiation with this deal. https://t.co/z4BJZeEQuB

— Simon Stone (@sistoney67) August 11, 2023

Presumably that lesson is ‘just say the biggest number’.

But let’s click on the story from the BBC to discover exactly how this magic happened…

While all the noise was around Chelsea’s efforts to sign Caicedo, it is understood Reds chief executive Billy Hogan worked quietly behind the scenes to get this deal in place.

Brighton had a figure they wanted for Caicedo – someone they believe could go on to become one of the world’s best – and Hogan’s approach allowed Liverpool to get there.

It left Chelsea out-negotiated and out-manoeuvred and may deliver to Klopp one of the most exciting talents in the Premier League – albeit at a fee that reflects that.

Hogan’s ‘approach’ was to pay even more than Brighton would have accepted a month ago, so well bloody done Liverpool. You ‘out-negotiated and out-manoeuvred’ Chelsea by offering more money than even Brighton thought he was worth. Give that man a medal.

Over at the Liverpool Echo, we are told that this deal ‘would represent a huge coup for Jurgen Klopp’, while they offer insight into exactly how it was accomplished:

Brighton have been keen for Caicedo’s situation to be resolved as soon as possible so they can continue restructuring their squad with the funds raised. And their previous dealings with Liverpool this summer over the Mac Allister transfer have allowed the Reds to move swiftly.

Yes, if Liverpool had not already bought Mac Allister, then offering the most money for Caicedo definitely would not have worked.

Echo beach
The Moises Caicedo headlines are rich and plentiful on the Liverpool Echo:

Moises Caicedo has already made transfer feelings known amid Liverpool and Chelsea battle

Yes, he revealingly said this: “I don’t get carried away by emotions. I’m enjoying time with my family for now. There is pressure, but I am calm. I am waiting for whatever God decides. He will know what is best for me.”

Which tells you everything you need to know ‘amid Liverpool and Chelsea battle’.

Moises Caicedo signs, Thiago shock – Liverpool dream line-up at end of summer transfer window

This piece – hastily rewritten after the Caicedo news – is most notable for this extraordinary line: ‘There are three weeks, or more concerningly, 21 days until the window slams shut at 11pm on September 1.’

When Moises Caicedo could make Liverpool debut if £110m transfer is sealed

Is it – and this is just a guess – when Liverpool next play? Yes, yes it is.

The blows keep on coming
Things move fast in Liverpool transfer news. It was only Thursday when ‘Jurgen Klopp faced imminent transfer blow on “real deal” Liverpool were urged to sign’ and on Friday, they have agreed a British record fee for said “real deal”. It’s almost like there was no blow at all because Liverpool had not yet decided to blow Chelsea out of the water with silly money.

And now on Friday, the Liverpool Echo bring us this devastating news:

Borussia Monchengladbach chief hands Liverpool transfer blow as Manu Kone admission made

Don’t think they’re going to give a sh*t mate.

Klopp it off
Spare a thought for Goal‘s Mark Doyle, who penned a Liverpool season preview and then published on Friday morning with this headline:

Liverpool 2023-24 season preview: Jurgen Klopp has Europe’s best attack – but transfer failures could lead manager to leave Anfield

Mediawatch believes that Klopp will be happy enough with a British record transfer move and also that somebody really, really should have changed that headline.

An overdue overhaul was required this summer and Liverpool began brightly, by activating buy-out clauses to bring in Alexis Mac Allister, from Brighton, and RB Leipzig’s Dominik Szoboszlai – two slick, attack-minded players with an eye for goal.

There was clearly still a gaping hole in the middle of the park, right in front of an undeniably brittle backline. With both Fabinho and Jordan Henderson having accepted money-spinning moves to Saudi Arabia and Thiago Alcantara once again recovering from injury, Jurgen Klopp had no experienced No.6 to call upon. Well, he’s emphatically addressed that area now, with news breaking late on Thursday night that the Reds had agreed a British-record £110 million ($140m) deal to sign Moises Caicedo from Brighton.

It’s a tricky one but we think we might have spotted the hasty addition.

So what of Jurgen Klopp leaving Anfield?

There is obviously no chance of Klopp being sacked – he is adored by the fans, and rightly so – but it would not be a surprise to see him walk next summer if he perhaps inevitably concludes that FSG’s ambitions do not match his own.

We think he will perhaps inevitably conclude that FSG have ambition after all.