Liverpool have outbid Chelsea for Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo, according to reports.
Chelsea originally had an £80 million bid rejected by the Seagulls, who are said to be holding out for £100 million if they are to part ways with the Ecuador international.
The bid was made up of £75m plus £5m in add-ons, report the Daily Mail, and was the fourth bid Chelsea have had rejected by Brighton.
Caicedo is thought to remain Mauricio Pochettino's top midfield target this summer, with talks progressing this week, claim the Guardian.But according to Matt Law of the Daily Telegraph, Liverpool have submitted a higher bid in an attempt to hijack the Blues' move for Caicedo.
Law tweeted: "Understand Liverpool have outbid Chelsea for Moises Caicedo which would also help explain Chelsea’s bid for Lavia. Suggestion however remains that Caicedo would prefer Chelsea move."
Indeed, Caicedo has previously made it clear he would like a move to Stamford Bridge, but Liverpool's bid could derail Chelsea's attempts to sign the 21-year-old.
The news comes as the two Premier League clubs go head-to-head for Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia's signature.Chelsea submitted a £48m bid for the 19-year-old on Wednesday night, slightly higher than Liverpool's £45m bid they had rejected earlier this week, with Saints holding firm in their £50m valuation.
Meanwhile, former Manchester United defender Gary Neville has advised Liverpool to pay up and sign Caicedo.
“They should just be going and getting Caicedo now for him and saying ‘there you go, that’s dealt with and sorted, it’s £100m’, but they’re not, they’re trying to pinch somebody off Southampton for £40million," Neville said on The Overlap.
“He’s a good player, don’t get me wrong, but Jurgen Klopp needs the real deal.
“They can’t do it [challenge Manchester City] with a player that’s got potential, they need to do it with a player that’s real.”
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