Liverpool make contact with Moises Caicedo but Chelsea still favourites | Football

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The Brighton midfielder has been identified as Maurcio Pochettino’s No.1 target to bolster a Chelsea engine room that has lost the likes of Mason Mount, N’Golo Kante and Mateo Kovacic this summer.

Chelsea had been confident of finally reaching an agreement with Brighton after submitting an £80million bid last week which still fell significantly short of the Seagulls’ £100m valuation.

The Blues hopes of wrapping up a deal for Caicedo in time for their first game of the season, ironically against Liverpool, this weekend have hit a major stumbling block, however, with the Reds, also in desperate need of midfield reinforcements, having made their own move for the Ecuador international, according to The Telegraph.

Jurgen Klopp is keen on the 19-year-old given the departures of Jordan Henderson and Fabinho, which followed the exits of James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxldade-Chamberlain at the end of last season.

Thiago Alcantara is also the subject of interest from Pro League clubs in Saudi Arabia and although Alexis McAllister and Dominik Szoboszlai are likely to represent shrewd additions, neither is suited to the No.6 role occupied by Curtis Jones in pre-season.

Liverpool have already seen three separate offers for Lavia knocked back by Southampton which has prompted Chelsea to make their own £48m move for the Belgium international.

Lavia was was left out of Southampton’s squad for their 3-1 defeat to Gillingham in the first round of the Carabao Cup on Tuesday evening.

Speaking after his side’s loss, Southampton boss Russell Martin suggested that Lavia would still be at the club by the end of the week.

‘I don’t envisage anything changes before now and the weekend but it’s football, right, so anything can happen,’ Martin told the BBC.

MORE : Chelsea set to sign Leeds United star Tyler Adams after activating £20m release clause

MORE : Chelsea outbid by Premier League rivals Liverpool for Moises Caicedo

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