According to the Mirror, Liverpool are eyeing a move to sign Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Moises Caicedo in the summer transfer window.
The newspaper claims the Reds are considering signing the 21-year-old after Wolves removed a clause from Matheus Nunes’ contract that would have allowed the 24-year-old to move to Anfield for £44m at the end of the season.
Nunes was first linked with a move to Anfield from Sporting last summer but he decided to move to the Molineux Stadium for a club-record transfer worth around £38 million, but things have not worked out well for the Portugal international.
He struggled in his early days in the Premier League under former manager Bruno Lage, however, he is gradually returning to his best form under Julen Lopetegui, making three goal contributions in 32 appearances in all competitions this season.
It is believed that Wolves will demand at least £50m for the player, who is yet to perform consistently for the 14th-placed side in the topflight. Jurgen Klopp will be able to get his man only if Wolves get relegated this season which could help reduce his asking price.
Liverpool are in the market for midfielders to bolster their squad and have been linked with a host of players including Jude Bellingham, Mason Mount, and James Ward-Prowse, however, Caicedo has now been identified as a potential transfer target.
Reinforcement
Caicedo has been linked with a move away from Brighton in the summer despite signing a new deal which ties him to the south coast club until 2027.
Arsenal tried to sign the Ecuador midfielder in January but bids worth up to £70m rejected by Brighton – who did not want to lose the highly-rated midfielder in the middle of the season.
The Gunners ended up securing a deal for Jorginho from Chelsea but the Italian is a short-term solution and Arsenal are expected to renew their interest in Caicedo in the summer.
However, they’ll now face competition from Liverpool as Klopp looks to revamp his midfield with the likes of Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain leaving at the end of the season when their contract expires in June.
Caicedo is regarded as one of the best emerging talents in the Premier League. He has featured in 31 games and made two contributions in all competitions for Brighton. Now that he’s tied to a long-term contract, the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool will need to pay well above £70m to get a deal agreed this summer.
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