Yaw Ampofo Ankrah looks at one off pitch transfer battle that has captured the attention of the football world.
Even before the EPL season kicks off, it’s making global headlines.
Especially with Caicedo transfer saga. The kid was on a £7,000 a week contract at Brighton. And then Arsenal came in for him with good money.
Brighton wanted to sell but refused after a boardroom backlash. Disappointed and frustrated, and Caicedo pleaded with the coastal town club to let him go with an emotional message narrating the fact that he’s from a very poor home and a breadwinner who needs the money to take care of his family as well as other dependants.
Brighton was smart and acted swiftly to sit with Caicedo with a new, much improved deal worth £70,000 a week. Arsenal cooled off interest but Chelsea jumped in to begin quiet negotiations with the player at the end of last season.
Brighton knew that they were in a win, win situation and potentially, could get more cash from Chelsea. Behind the scenes, Brighton kept pushing for a staggering cash out but Chelsea made it clear they would not pay close to the outrageous £100 million pounds demand.
A deal was very close because Caicedo said he preferred Chelsea. Then literally out of the blue, Liverpool stepped in with a record 110 million pounds bid. This took all parties by surprise including the player.
Traditionally Liverpool is not a club to splash the cash unlike Chelsea but Brighton preferred Liverpool, whilst the player still wanted Chelsea.
So now he’s what it will boil down to.
Liverpool will not break the bank to offer the kind of salary, bonuses, signing on fees and agent fees that is being demanded by the camp of Caicedo. Besides Jurgen Klopp seemed to have been caught off guard at the Liverpool presser on Friday morning.
For now, the kid from Ecuador – Moisés Isaac Caicedo Corozo remains a player of Brighton & Hove Albion. The ball is firmly in the court of Chelsea.
