Liverpool made a huge £111 million bid to sign Moises Caicedo late in the 2023 summer transfer window. It was accepted but the player waited for Chelsea, who subsequently had a £115 million bid accepted before he moved to London.
The Reds ultimately signed Wataru Endo from Stuttgart while they continued scouring the market for another top defensive midfielder.
It may have worked out in the end after all with James Pearce now suggesting that sources inside the club believe Caicedo wouldn’t be a good fit for the profile Arne Slot is looking for at the base of his midfield.
Ryan Gravenberch is excelling in the role this season and while the jury is out on whether he is suited to the role in the long term, it will have to do for now.
James Pearce: Caicedo would not have suited Liverpool style of play under Slot
Moises Caicedo. Credit: Imago Images
Speaking on The Athletic FC Podcast, James Pearce shares what he’s heard from Liverpool insiders.
The journalist shared: “I spoke to someone at Liverpool last week that said if they [Liverpool] had signed Caicedo last summer, would he really have fitted what Slot wants in terms of a highly technical player who is able to operate in really tight spaces and is press-resistant and is so good at finding space between the lines, things that Gravenberch did on Sunday.”
Caicedo struggled immensely at Chelsea last season and didn’t really find his feet until later in the season and considering Liverpool were prepared to obliterate the Premier League transfer record at the time, it’s a good thing they didn’t win the transfer battle to sign him.
Of course, it would have been a safe bet to say he would have done a lot better under Jurgen Klopp, it’s money saved now that Slot is in charge.
