Chelsea 'pushing' to sign £75m-rated Liverpool target in Janaury

Chelsea are looking to beat Liverpool in the race to sign Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Moises Caicedo, with the Blues 'pushing' to sign the Ecuadorian international before the transfer window slams shut.

According to Ben Jacobs, as cited by Anfield Watch's Twitter account, Liverpool have been priced out of a move for the dynamic midfielder who has made a huge impression since joining the Seagulls in February 2021. As revealed by The Guardian, Caicedo has a price tag of £75m, with Chelsea looking to increase their offer after having an initial £55m bid knocked back by the Premier League club earlier this month.

Ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, Caicedo made his feelings clear on a transfer when he was asked about a potential reunion with former Brighton coach Graham Potter at Chelsea. Speaking to Argentine outlet Ole via Manchester Evening News, the 21-year-old admitted it would be hard to turn down an offer from the Blues.

"Right now I'm very focused on Brighton and the World Cup. I want to have a great World Cup and then we'll see what happens.

"I think they [Chelsea] are one of the best teams in the world and nobody would turn down an offer from Chelsea or any other club like that. It'd be a dream to be in the best teams in the world and succeed there."

ANFIELD WATCH VERDICT

Liverpool are short of quality in midfield and Caicedo could be a fantastic addition to their engine room. The 21-year-old has a year of Premier League experience under his belt and has been one of the best players in the country in his position since joining Brighton, so it's not hard to see why teams are willing to break the bank for him.

As things stand, though, Chelsea seem to be in the driving seat, with the Blues looking to add to their squad further after already completing deals for Benoit Badiashille, Mykhaylo Mudryk and Noni Madueke, among others. Liverpool, on the other hand, have signed just Cody Gakpo this month and could well launch a late move to sign a midfielder in the coming days if an opportunity presents itself.

Whether it's Moises Caicedo, or someone else, only time will tell.