After one of the most dramatic transfer saga twists of the summer, Liverpool emerged as front-runners and favourites to sign Moises Caicedo having agreed a £110m deal with Brighton for the midfielder overnight.
The Ecuadorian international had been pursued by the Reds’ Premier League rivals Chelsea for most of the summer, however, as the Londoners haggled with Albion, Liverpool stole in to agree terms with the Seagulls for the highly-rated international.
Should Caicedo complete his British record transfer to Anfield, he will become Liverpool’s third midfield acquisition of the summer following the earlier arrivals of Dominik Szoboszlai from RB Leipzig as well as Caicedo’s former teammate Alexis Mac Allister.
Liverpool’s midfield evolution
Liverpool went from quadruple chasers to Premier League also rans in the space of three months between 2021/22 and 2022/23 and much of the blame for their underperformance last term was aimed towards the club’s lack of investment in midfield.
With Naby Keita perennially injured and Fabinho, Jordan Henderson and James Milner all displaying signs of regression due to age, Liverpool looked short on energy in the middle for much of last season, however, all four players have already been jettisoned this summer.
To replace them, the Merseysiders have already spent north of £100m combined on the aforementioned pair Szoboszlai and Mac Allister, though there is still a sizable gap to be filled in the anchorman role, where the now departed Fabinho had performed with such authority up until last year.
Recruiting 21-year-old Caicedo could conceivably sort that problem position for a decade in one fell £110m swoop.
Where would Caicedo fit in at Liverpool?
In Jurgen Klopp’s reworked midfield blueprint for Liverpool, it’s pretty easy to find a space for Moises Caicedo to slot in.
The German has long-favoured a 4-3-3 set-up with two of his midfielders playing with a more attacking remit either side of a stabilising force offering balance while screening the back four.
In this system of one “six” and two “eights”, summer signings Dominik Szoboszlai Alexis Mac Allister are expected to be given licence to get forward, while Moises Caicedo would almost certainly be the sitting player just behind them.
A midfield featuring that trio would in theory provide a perfect blend of pace, technical skill and running power which would allow Liverpool’s front three to shine further up the pitch.
When Liverpool were in their pomp under Klopp, they had a central trio of Georginio Wijnaldum and younger versions of Jordan Henderson and Fabinho covering every blade of grass as midfield pressing machines and their new triumvirate of recruits could help the Reds to replicate that rock and roll football style in 2023/24.
If there is one slight cause for concern, then it’s the fact that Liverpool finished ahead of Brighton last season despite operating with a sub-standard midfield. In essence, the Reds have now transplanted most of Albion’s midfield into theirs, so it will be interesting to see if Caicedo and Mac Allister can up the stakes to match Liverpool’s ambitions.
In a final twist to developments, fresh reports today have indicated that Chelsea might still be in the running for Caicedo’s signature, so watch this space.
