Jürgen Klopp said that Chelsea managers usually get what they want as Liverpool braced themselves for the disappointment of missing out on the signing of Brighton’s Moisés Caicedo.
Liverpool agreed a £110m deal for the Ecudador midfielder on Thursday but he looks certain to head to Stamford Bridge in a deal worth £115m. Chelsea were understood to be finalising the transfer before hosting Klopp’s side on Sunday and are set to break the British transfer record for the second time in six months.
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Klopp has been desperate to sign a midfielder this summer – the flaws were evident as his side opened their campaign with an entertaining 1-1 draw against Mauricio Pochettino’s side – and they also risk missing out to Chelsea in the battle to sign Southampton’s Roméo Lavia.
Chelsea have spent heavily under their Todd Boehly-Clearlake Capital ownership and Pochettino wants to strengthen his squad further before the transfer window shuts. “That’s what each Chelsea manager wants and usually they get it,” Klopp said.
Liverpool are prepared to break their transfer record to sign Caicedo, whose preference has always been to move to Chelsea. They have sold several midfielders this summer and remain in talks with Southampton regarding Lavia. Chelsea are also pursuing the 19-year-old Belgian.
Klopp saw Liverpool fade after a promising start, with Luis Díaz’s opener cancelled out by Axel Disasi scoring on his Chelsea debut. The manager played down Mohamed Salah’s angry reaction to being substituted in the second half.