Liverpool hope transfer decision won't haunt them after announcing deal

Liverpool hope transfer decision won't haunt them after announcing deal

Moises Caicedo turned down a move to Liverpool in 2023 - and the Reds will hope he doesn't come back to haunt them this weekend

Moises Caicedo of Chelsea is consoled by Ben Chilwell of Chelsea at full-time following the team's defeat in the Carabao Cup Final match between Chelsea and Liverpool at Wembley Stadium on February 25, 2024 (Image: Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images )

When the teams walk out at Anfield on Sunday afternoon, one Chelsea player might allow himself - for a second - to wonder what might have been.

It will not be the first time Moises Caicedo has faced Liverpool since he sensationally turned down a move to Merseyside in the summer of 2023. The Ecuadorian featured as Chelsea suffered a 4-1 defeat to the Reds in the Premier League back in January, and again a few weeks later when Jurgen Klopp's injury-ravaged side claimed a memorable victory in the Carabao Cup final.

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But, perhaps for the first time since he agreed to join the Londoners in a £115million deal, Caicedo can claim to be part of a side that has genuine designs on rivalling Liverpool at the top of the table. It has been a fine start to life in west London for Chelsea's new head coach Enzo Maresca, who replaced Mauricio Pochettino at the helm over the summer.

The Blues are currently fourth in the Premier League table, just four points behind Liverpool, although, much like Arne Slot's side, the fixture gods have thus far been fairly kind to them. This weekend, then, promises to be a litmus test for the quality of both teams.

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And, if Chelsea are to secure their first victory at Anfield since 2021, they will need the man who snubbed Liverpool in favour of a switch to Stamford Bridge to be at his very best. Caicedo was at the centre of one of the most gripping transfer sagas of last summer, despite his move to Chelsea having appeared a foregone conclusion for some time.

The Blues' inability to thrash out a deal with Brighton & Hove Albion opened the door for Liverpool to pounce and, seemingly out of nowhere, Klopp's side had had a £111m bid for the Ecuador international accepted. “First and foremost, I got told that I can confirm the deal with the club is agreed,” the German said at the time.

"We want the player. Let’s do it step by step. Let’s see what happens in the next hours or days, then we have enough time to talk to about that.”

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What happened in the next hours and days, it turned out, was the stuff of Premier League folklore as Caicedo made clear his heart lay with Chelsea, forcing Liverpool to turn their attentions elsewhere. More than a year on and it is the Reds who have arguably benefitted more from the midfielder's U-turn, with their alternative acquisitions - Wataru Endo and Ryan Gravenberch - having so far proved to be shrewd signings.

The latter, in particular, has excelled under Slot after a rather indifferent first campaign on Merseyside, shining in a deeper-lying midfield role alongside Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai. That Gravenberch arrived from Bayern Munich for a fraction of the fee Chelsea paid for Caicedo suggests that missing out on the Ecuadorian has allowed Liverpool to pull off one of their smartest transfers in years.

However, despite struggling to live up to his price tag during his maiden campaign at Stamford Bridge, Caicedo is slowly but surely showing why the Reds were so keen to sign him. No Premier League player has made more combined tackles and interceptions this season than the midfielder and, at just 22, there is still ample time for him to improve.

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Last month, the statistical group CIES Football Observatory named Caicedo as the best holding midfielder under the age of 23 in the world, ahead of Real Madrid's Eduardo Camavinga, Manchester United's Kobbie Mainoo, and Gravenberch.

When asked on Friday about the role he has played in helping develop the Ecuadorian, Maresca said: "I don't know. That's more a question for him.

"I really believe to improve as a team, you need to improve the players. We are trying to, not only with Moi but all the players, to dedicate time for them, spend time with them, for extra work almost every day. At the end of the session, we keep players for extra work and Moi is one of the players.

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"We are happy with the way he is playing. We didn't have any doubts about him as a player or a person and we are very happy with him at the moment."

Considering how strongly Liverpool have started under Slot, it would be difficult to argue they are paying the price for missing out on Caicedo. But, with Chelsea the first in a long line of tricky opponents for the Reds, they will certainly hope that the one that got away does not come back to haunt them this weekend.

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