Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has hailed Moises Caicedo as Arsenal and Chelsea duel to sign the Brighton star.
The Reds face the Seagulls in the fourth round of the FA Cup this weekend, with Caicedo expected to start for Roberto De Zerbi's side. He played a key role as Brighton claimed a dominant win over Liverpool a fortnight ago.
With Klopp on the search for a new midfielder, some have been left wondering if the 21-year-old could be an option. The Reds boss is clearly a fan of the Ecuador international and hailed Caicedo in the build-up to Sunday's fourth round clash.
"Against Brighton especially, it’s massively important how you defend the first line. So, they are that good. Caicedo and [Alexis] Mac Allister and then the two centre-halves [are] calm, the goalie [Robert Sanchez], really calm," Klopp said.
"So, they just pass the ball through. If the front three is not defending well, and that was our problem, for example, at Brighton - that's how it started. The midfield wanted [to press] but were never close enough.
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"If you defend Brighton with seven players, no chance. That’s the situation. It's not about the midfield, they are good there, that's why we have to be good there. Yes, that's one part, it's really about how we defend in general."
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Moises Caicedo has starred for Brighton this season (Joe Prior/Visionhaus via Getty Images)Klopp's admiring comments come as Arsenal and Chelsea's battle for Caicedo's signature burst into the open. The Gunners had a £60million bid rejected by Brighton on Friday, though negotiations are still thought to be ongoing.
That bid came after Chelsea put forward a £55m offer of their own for the 21-year-old, though that was also turned down. Despite the heavy interest in his star player, Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi is hopeful of keeping him at the Amex Stadium.
"I spoke with him on Wednesday and he is relaxed," De Zerbi said of Caicedo. "I think it's always difficult to change clubs inside the season, as you can find some problems.
"I hope he can stay with us until the end of the season because, in my opinion, that is the best solution for him and for us. I spoke with him like a father, not as a coach.
"I understand it when a player has the possibility to change teams and go to a very big club, but my work is to not only give the style of play, but also to give advice for his career and his life."
While Chelsea and Arsenal battle for Caicedo, Klopp is still attempting to find his best midfield combination. The Reds are set to make a summer move for Jude Bellingham and Klopp is confident his current players can deliver.
Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi is keen to keep hold of Moises Caicedo (AFP via Getty Images)"Obviously, we had injuries after Brighton, or little niggles in there, so it was clear that we had to change anyway. I liked the rhythm; I liked the mix of offensive things and defensive readiness," he said of the midfield combination of Thiago, Naby Keita and Stefan Bajcetic used in last Saturday's goalless Premier League draw with Chelsea.
"The midfield three, it just worked well for these games. We will see who will start [on] Sunday. It’s not about against anybody, or whatever. It's just the boys in the moment train, it's not about the midfielders – they all show up.
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"They obviously all want to play, so that's good. And my job is then to make the decision. Let's see how it works best and then we have five opportunities to change. For me, it’s exactly the same importance [between] how we start and how we finish a game."
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