2K6GAKY 08 Oct 2022 - Brighton and Hove Albion v Tottenham Hotspur - Premier League - Amex Stadium Brighton's Moises Caicedo during the Premier League match at the Amex Stadium. Picture : Mark Pain / Alamy Live News

Brighton midfielder “next to Bellingham” on Liverpool’s list of transfer targets

Jude Bellingham continues to be heavily linked with a move to Liverpool, but a reliable journalist has now named a Brighton midfielder who is said to be alongside the Englishman on the Reds’ list of targets.

Last week, Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg claimed Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp were “pushing” in their attempts to secure Bellingham, with Man City and Real Madrid also in the race to sign him.

Plettenberg also added that there were two midfielders from South America who were “next to” the Borussia Dortmund star on Liverpool’s wish list.

And in his latest update, Plettenberg has seemingly confirmed that one of those players is Brighton and Ecuador midfielder Moises Caicedo.

The 21-year-old was tentatively linked with a move to Anfield in the summer transfer window, with Brighton likely to demand a hefty fee for one of their star players.

Plettenberg adds that Man United are also “planning” to enter the race to sign Caicedo, with senior members of staff at Old Trafford said to be “highly interested.”

Brighton, as you’d expect, are keen to hold onto the Ecuadorian beyond 2023, but with several of the Premier League‘s top clubs circling, that may be easier said than done.

Caicedo was snapped up by Brighton from Ecuadorian outfit Independiente del Valle in February 2021, before initially being loaned out to Belgian top flight side Beerschot for the 2021-22 season.

However, a shortage of midfielders at his parent club saw Caicedo recalled in January of this year, and he has since established himself as a first team regular.

He is also a key player for his country, playing the full 90 minutes in both of Ecuador’s group games at the World Cup so far.

Caicedo is predominantly a more defensive midfielder, but has showcased his attacking capabilities on several occasions during his time at Brighton, scoring against Man United and Leicester earlier this year.

With his contract running until 2025, Caicedo won’t come cheap, and if Liverpool are interested, it would seem unlikely that they’d be able to afford both Bellingham and Caicedo.

Enzo Fernandez, the Benfica youngster who is also impressing at the World Cup with Argentina, is widely speculated to be the other South American midfielder the Reds have their eyes on.

Plettenberg has also revealed that Konrad Laimer, another midfielder Liverpool have been linked with, is set to leave RB Leipzig for Bayern Munich next summer.