Liverpool agree British record £110 million fee for Caicedo

London, Aug. 12: Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp confirmed on Friday the Reds have reached an agreement with Brighton for the transfer of Moises Caicedo, for a reported British record fee of £110 million ($140 million, 127 million euros).

However, Sky Sports reported that the 21-year-old Ecuador international is still to decide his future with Chelsea also interested.

Caicedo had been a long-standing target for Chelsea, but Liverpool stole a march on the Blues after Brighton set a deadline for bids on Thursday evening.

The reported fee would surpass the previous British record of £107 million that Chelsea paid for Enzo Fernandez in January.

It would also represent another huge profit for Brighton, who signed Caicedo from Ecuadorian side Independiente del Valle for just £4 million in 2021.

“I got told I can confirm a deal with (Brighton) is agreed,” Klopp said at his pre-match press conference ahead of Sunday’s trip to Chelsea on the opening weekend of the Premier League season.

Klopp has previously criticised the idea of spending £100 million on a single player, but admitted he has had to change his approach due to spiralling transfer fees.

He added: “Everything changed. Do I like it? No. Did I realise I was wrong? Yes.

“I’m not blaming anyone but it’s just the market. In the end, we as a club have to make sure that, with our resources, we get the best possible player.”

Liverpool backed out of the bidding for Jude Bellingham earlier in the window as the England international joined Real Madrid from Borussia Dortmund for an initial fee of 100 million euros.

But Klopp said the unexpected departures of captain Jordan Henderson and Fabinho to Saudi Arabia for a combined fee of £52 million had changed their transfer plans.

“We are a club with not endless resources, so things we didn’t expect, a couple of things happening in the summer,” said Klopp. “We didn’t think about that before the summer, to be honest and when it happened, we gave it a go and obviously, the club was really stretched there, to be honest.”

Caicedo could be reunited with Alexis Mac Allister, the Argentinian World Cup winner who left Brighton for Anfield in June. Hungarian international Dominik Szoboszlai is Liverpool’s only other signing of the window so far.

Kane move to Bayern ‘imminent’

Harry Kane is on the brink of a move to Bayern Munich, Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou confirmed on Friday.  

The two clubs have reportedly agreed a fee worth an initial 100 million euros ($110 million, £86 million) for the 30-year-old striker, who had just one year left on his 

contract at Spurs.

Kane has been given permission to travel to Germany to complete a medical ahead of what would be a record transfer for a Bundesliga club.

Postecoglou is preparing to take charge of his first game in charge of Tottenham at Brentford on Sunday and said he is now planning on life without the club’s all-time top goalscorer.

“My understanding is it has progressed to the point where it looks like it will happen,” said Postecoglou at his pre-match press conference.

“From that perspective at least it gives us some clarity and we move forward without Harry.

“From my perspective it is just about understanding where we are at and the information I have at the moment is the deal is imminent, but like with all these things, you leave yourself 

some leeway.

Earlier on Friday, Bayern boss Thomas Tuchel said the six-time European champions were working on the deal as their “highest priority”.

Tuchel’s men kick off their season against RB Leipzig in the German Super Cup on Saturday with the start of the Bundesliga season not till 

next weekend.

“We are working hard on it... that is no secret,” said the former Chelsea manager.

“But as of now there is no decision. As long as there is no agreement, the coach is not going to talk about it, as it is not his player.” (AFP)