Moises Caicedo agent confirms Liverpool and Arsenal also pursued the now Chelsea midfielder
The representative of Chelsea FC’s £115 million midfield dynamo Moises Caicedo has intriguingly revealed Liverpool and Arsenal were involved in attempts to hijack the Ecuadorian’s Stamford Bridge switch last summer.
Ali Barat, who helped orchestrate Caicedo’s British record transfer from Brighton last month, openly discussed rival interest which threatened to derail Chelsea from signing the tenacious 21-year-old.
In an interview covered by Liverpool Echo, Barat admitted that Arsenal and Liverpool entered the fray late as Chelsea thrashed out an extortionate agreement with Brighton during a frenetic finale.
“It was a fantastic moment, the culmination of three and a half years work. It was an exciting moment and also a very tense one, at the last minute, as you know, Arsenal and Liverpool also came into the game. It was definitely a great experience.”
That candid confirmation from Caicedo’s own representative puts fresh context on Chelsea fending off intense competition to win the midfielder’s signature. Liverpool themselves reportedly agreed to a £111 million package to sign Caicedo, trumping Chelsea’s initial offers before Todd Boehly’s billions ultimately got the deal done.
But Barat’s words suggest the Reds remained a genuine threat, with the agent making clear a Premier League tug-of-war ensued between three heavyweights seeking Caicedo’s coveted services.
Chelsea drastically raised stakes to eclipse their domestic rivals, in the process smashing the British transfer record. But Liverpool and Arsenal both saw Caicedo’s flawless Premier League audition at Brighton as worthy of an exponential fee.
In the end, Caicedo favoured following Enzo Fernandez to West London over Anfield or the Emirates. But Barat’s admission proves Liverpool and Arsenal firmly recognized the 22-year-old’s skyscraping potential.
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Now Chelsea must ensure their extravagant £115m outlay proves money wisely spent fending off fierce competition for a midfield cornerstone.
