Liverpool’s pursuit of Moisés Caicedo and his subsequent decision to join Chelsea has raised eyebrows and sparked discussions about the club’s recruitment strategy.
Former Celtic striker Chris Sutton expressed his confusion over Caicedo’s choice, considering Liverpool’s recent success and its need for a midfielder like him. The transfer saga highlighted the intense competition between Liverpool and Chelsea in the market — with a battle also on for Roméo Lavia’s signature, where the Blues again occupy the driving seat.
Sutton questioned Caicedo’s decision-making, labelling him as a “development player” and suggesting that working under Jürgen Klopp at Anfield should have been a more attractive prospect. “I don’t know, I don’t get it,” Sutton said on the It’s All Kicking Off podcast. “It must be because of the manager, (Mauricio) Pochettino.
“I actually think that Liverpool, you know, you look at where they are at this moment in time, you compare them to Chelsea and their performances last season.
“I think Liverpool are closer to winning the title than Chelsea are. Chelsea obviously think this will be a transformative signing for them, I suppose, the deep squad and Pochettino obviously thinks this is the type of transfer that will take them above Liverpool.”
Sutton also raised concerns about the hefty price tag attached to Caicedo’s transfer. Chelsea has forked out an initial $127m (£100m/€116m) for the 21-year-old and could pay a further $19m (£15m/€17m) in add-ons.
Liverpool had agreed a $141m (£111m/€129m) deal for Caicedo on Friday before the player opted for the Blues. Sutton added: “It is £115m essentially for a development player.
“Caicedo will worry less about what’s written on the back pages of the newspapers, I would imagine, but for him it’ll be social media and things like that, that if he looks, that’s where he will find the questions, isn’t it? That’s where he will find the criticism.”
The impact of missing out on Caicedo could be significant for Liverpool, especially considering its current midfield concerns. But Sutton highlighted the signings of Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai as evidence that the Reds are actively addressing their needs.
“The fact that they haven’t got Caicedo over the line, I can understand what you’re saying with that, but they did get [Alexis] Mac Allister over the line,” he said. “[Dominik] Szoboszlai on the face of it seems a good signing, saw a little bit of him at Leipzig, a prominent player for Hungary. It’s just a choice thing from Caicedo.
“What we do know is Liverpool has an issue in that defensive midfield position, and it’s something I’m sure that Klopp will address.
