It would take quite something to steer away a potential Liverpool target from an Anfield switch – especially after a personal message from Jurgen Klopp.
Yet, that is exactly what happened with then Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Moises Caicedo, whose camp (after months of groundwork, it’s worth noting) had been already well and truly convinced by the Chelsea project and finances on the table.
“Moises Caicedo had just sent a text message explaining that, though he appreciated Liverpool’s desire to buy him, he did not want a move to Anfield and was only looking to join Chelsea,” a series of reporters wrote for The Athletic.
A far cry from the days of the Reds luring Luis Diaz away at the last minute of the January transfer window two years ago amid Tottenham’s pursuit of the Colombian.
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One can only imagine just how perplexed the manager would have been after, surely, having been given some reassurance over the likelihood of the player blowing off the Stamford Bridge-based outfit in favour of a move up north.
It wasn’t meant to be and the repercussions were equally devastating, as Romeo Lavia was also pinched despite weeks of Liverpool being assured they were firmly in the lead for the player’s signature.
It’s led to a revaluation, post-Endo, of what our midfield needs from the window.
A multi-functional midfielder is now the prime target, with the Japanese international looking less stop-gap and more a commitment that will, at the very least, ensure that Stefan Bajcetic’s pathway is not blocked.
#Ep86 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: EOTK Insider with Neil Jones🎙️