Chelsea can help Liverpool seal deadline deal for Brighton’s Caicedo

Jurgen Klopp reacts to Man Utd defeat

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As title contenders for the Premier League, Chelsea are probably not aiming to help Liverpool gain any sort of advantage in the summer transfer window. But with the Reds in hot pursuit of Brighton star Moises Caicedo, Thomas Tuchel may inadvertently hand his German counterpart Jurgen Klopp a way of pushing through a deal.

Klopp revealed last week that the club are actively searching for a midfielder after conceding he was “wrong” over their need to sign reinforcements following a long list of injuries that has left the Merseyside club short of options.

Ruben Neves, Sander Berge and Youri Tielemans have all emerged as targets, but the most realistic target could be 22-year-old Caicedo, who is contracted to Brighton. Klopp reportedly sees the all-action midfielder as an energetic presence that can add value to his star-studded midfield.

Reports of a £42m bid being submitted suggest that Liverpool have stepped up their interest in Caicedo, forcing Brighton coach Graham Potter to line up a replacement, and it appears Chelsea starlet Billy Gilmour would be his top target if the Ecuador international departs the Amex Stadium.

The Athletic report that Brighton are interested in Scotland midfielder Gilmour, although talks are very much at an early stage and are not advanced by any means. Chelsea are not keen on selling Gilmour in the transfer window and would prefer a loan deal as he is rated highly by coaches at Stamford Bridge.

The Blues are open to loaning Gilmour out to a top-flight side after watching him fall down the pecking order under Tuchel behind Conor Gallagher, with the tactician sending Gilmour back home early from their pre-season tour of the United States.

Whether that loan will be to a Premier League club or elsewhere in Europe is unclear, but the 21-year-old is in desperate need of regular football. His future at the west London giants looked in doubt when he wasn’t even given a squad number before the current campaign.

That has now been rectified ahead of the September 1 deadline and he is eligible to feature for Chelsea in the Premier League.

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However, there is one issue that could prevent Brighton from clinching a deal for Gilmour. Premier League rules preventing top-flight clubs from loaning more than one player to the same club in a season and the South Coast outfit have already signed Levi Colwill on a temporary deal from Chelsea.

That could force Potter to take a gamble on Gilmour by signing him permanently and the clubs agreeing on a buy-back clause, which is an option Chelsea have taken with other youth stars such as Tino Livramento. And if reports of a £42m bid for Caicedo are accurate, Brighton would be able to afford such a fee for Gilmour’s services.

Caicedo has proved to be a hit signing since arriving from Independiente del Valle in February 2021 for just £4.5m and his value has since skyrocketed.

And Brighton have shown a tendency to cash in for the right price, selling Ben White and Marc Cucurella for £50m and £62m respectively, meaning that a deal cannot be ruled out for certain with such riches behind them.

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