Journo explains how Liverpool failed in Romeo Lavia pursuit due to Moises Caicedo bid

Jacob Steinberg talks about the Romeo Lavia – Liverpool saga

Liverpool FC, even after putting in a monstrous £111m bid, failed to land Moises Caicedo who went to Chelsea. Romeo Lavia could soon follow suit, as the Reds saw themselves stuck in negotiations with Southampton for too long, resulting in Chelsea submitting a much higher bid than that of the Reds.

The Guardian‘s Jaco Steinberg talks about how the entourage of Lavia felt that the 19-year-old was the Reds’ second choice after Liverpool submitted a club-record bid for Moises Caicedo. Here is what the report read:

“Multiple sources close to the Lavia transfer have expressed bemusement over the Anfield club’s tactics. It is understood that the 19-year-old was left feeling that he was Liverpool’s second choice after they bid for Caicedo, opening the door for Chelsea to make their move and convince Lavia to join their talented young squad.”

This is surprising, to say the least. From assuming that he was second choice and rejecting a move, to knowing that he is Chelsea’s second choice after Caicedo and still making a move to Stamford Bridge surely doesn’t make a lot of sense. However, it is what it is. Bear in mind, nothing is official news as of now, but it surely seems like a case of the Reds losing another one of their transfer targets.

The 19-year-old found himself in the midst of transfer negotiations that stretched the boundaries of patience and strategy. Liverpool’s engagement with Southampton over Lavia’s transfer reportedly extended longer than anticipated, a delay that would later prove pivotal in the course of events.

No Lavia No Caicedo

Enter Chelsea, who swooped in with a substantial bid of their own. The timing of Chelsea’s bid, coupled with the prolonged negotiations between Liverpool and Southampton, created a scenario that left Lavia’s entourage with the choice of joining the Blues even though had been in negotiations with the Reds for as long as they were.

This perception, whether accurate or not, seemingly opened the door for Chelsea to step in and successfully convince Lavia to make the move to Stamford Bridge. As earlier mentioned though, there is only so much the Reds can do about this situation from this point onwards apart from looking to secure the signatures of other players who could fit the requirements at the club.

The need of getting on board reinforcements is real and an urgent one at that. The transfer window closes in less than a month’s time.

Ideally, the Reds should have sorted their business out by this point but such is the nature of football transfers that the Reds cannot do anything about it at this moment apart from looking to sign alternatives.

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• Roberto de Zerbi aims dig at Moises Caicedo amid Liverpool and Chelsea links

It should, however, be a lesson for the future. We seemed so well organised during the Michael Edwards era and we did well with the signings of Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai. But Jordan Henderson and Fabinho’s exits caught off us guard, and we should have been decisive in our pursuit of players last month itself.

Losing out on targets because we can’t afford their valuation is just a very sad sight for fans of one of England’s most successful clubs in history.