Moisés Caicedo agent lifts lid on Jürgen Klopp calls and why Chelsea won transfer over Liverpool
Despite Liverpool having a club-record fee agreed with Brighton for the transfer of Moisés Caicedo, the player remained adamant that he wanted a move to Chelsea.
In the world of football transfers, there are often intriguing stories that unfold behind the scenes. One such tale is the transfer saga of Moisés Caicedo.
The agent of the Ecuador international has now shed light on the decision-making process that led to his client joining Chelsea instead of Liverpool, despite the latter’s “more established and stable project.”
During the summer transfer window, both Chelsea and Liverpool were vying for Caicedo’s signature. The Reds, in particular, were in search of a defensive-minded midfielder and had initially been in talks with Southampton to sign Roméo Lavia. However, when negotiations stalled, Liverpool turned its attention to Caicedo and even had a club-record $134m (£110m/€127m) bid accepted for him.
But in a surprising turn of events, Mauricio Pochettino’s side swooped in and secured Caicedo’s services. Chelsea had long been interested in the player and managed to beat Liverpool to his signature. The Blues also managed to sign Lavia, further strengthening their midfield options.
Liverpool’s failure to secure Caicedo was seen as a blow to the club, especially considering the substantial transfer fee involved. Caicedo’s agent, Manuel Sierra, has admitted that Liverpool’s offer was “dizzying.” However, he revealed that Chelsea’s unwavering loyalty and commitment to the player ultimately influenced their decision.
In the end, it’s very complicated,” he told Football sin Cassette. “Imagine that you’re being written to and called by Jürgen Klopp, that Liverpool is calling you. We’re talking about something really big, one of the best teams in the world, just like Chelsea. Well, with a more established and stable project than what Chelsea has today, which is a very ambitious project looking ahead to two years.
“So, when Liverpool comes and approaches you in that way, obviously Moisés gets dizzy, I even get dizzy myself, and he says: ‘Man, we must be doing something right, you know.’ But Chelsea was by our side all along, asking us, not for much time, they were asking for an hour, I mean, just an hour, so that Brighton could tell them the conditions to match the offer.
“As I said, they were given an hour, which turned into two days of negotiation. Also, because they had the handicap that the first game of the season was Chelsea vs Liverpool, it would have been a bit awkward to present it on the day they play against each other.
It’s like an unwritten agreement to not laugh in each other’s faces. So, in the end, after the game ended, they gave us the green light, he passed the medical examination, and on Monday, we were presenting him.”
Sierra also revealed that Liverpool had shown consistent interest in Caicedo throughout the months leading up to the transfer window. However, after May, communication between the two parties ceased. This lack of contact left Caicedo and his agent uncertain about Liverpool’s intentions.
Liverpool was always interested in Moi (Caicedo),” Sierra added. “The truth is, we had meetings during those months from January to May. But after May, we never heard anything more. The first thing we were told is: ‘Tomorrow, you have to go to Liverpool for a medical.’ Of course, what’s our reaction going to be if we haven’t negotiated, haven’t talked, haven’t seen anything at all?
“We knew where things could happen because we were talking with them until May. In the end, our side and the player’s side were not a problem, but the problem was Brighton. When they told us: ‘You can go to Liverpool tomorrow’. Well, our reaction was: ‘Okay, but do you understand why?’ So, that was the comedy. In other words, they told us to go for a medical examination with Liverpool without having an agreement, without giving the green light.
Even Klopp wrote to Moisés with Brighton’s permission and all, but Moisés was clear all along, and we were clear all along that if Chelsea matched or offered the same conditions that Liverpool could with Brighton, as I said, they surpassed it. So, there were no complaints.”
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