Liverpool have been handed a transfer boost as the price of target Moises Caicedo has been slashed by £20million, according to reports.
The Reds have long been linked with a move for the Brighton midfielder, who was initially thought to have had a £85million price-tag slapped on him. but it is now believed that the Seagulls would be tempted by a £60m-plus offer with add-ons. Should Caicedo fetch that kind of fee, it would mark a remarkable piece of business from the selling club's perspective.
The 21-year-old joined Brighton for £4m from Independiente del Valle in his native country of Ecuador in February 2021 and has already attracted interest from not only the Reds but fellow Premier League giants Chelsea and Newcastle as well.
With that in mind, it seems too good a deal for Jurgen Klopp's men to pass up - especially when factoring in how desperately Liverpool need midfield reinforcements. Many members of the Anfield faithful have called for a new signing to bolster their options in the middle of the park since Georginio Wijnaldum's departure.
Indeed, even Klopp himself has confessed that he misses the Dutchman, who left Liverpool after five years at the club in the summer of 2021 to join Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer.
He has since left the French capital after an underwhelming campaign and joined Serie A outfit Roma.
HAVE YOUR SAY! Is Caicedo the Wijnaldum-replacement Liverpool are crying out for? Comment below
Back in 2019, Klopp waxed lyrical over Wijnaldum after he was shortlisted for the Ballon d'Or award, claiming: "Gini speaks on the pitch for the way he plays. It is just so obvious his importance. It is both directions, small spaces, big spaces, it is hard challenges, fine football, pretty much all of that.
"Is he the perfect midfielder? From the skillset 100 per cent. He has all the things you need."
For all of the flattery, Liverpool failed to meet Wijnaldum's wage demands which is thought to have been the main factor in his reason to leave the club, where he won both the Premier League and Champions League during his five-year stint.
Some would argue it would be negligent of the club to miss out on his potential successor over similar financial reasons, with Caicedo available for a relatively small fee Liverpool must act swiftly.
The Reds' last outing saw them draw 2-2 at home to Wolves in the FA Cup third round in a game that highlighted some of Liverpool's glaring fragilities.
If Klopp's side are to stand any chance of finishing inside the top four this term, their midfield weakness needs to be addressed before the end of the January transfer window.
