The reasoning behind Liverpool's decision to break the bank for Moises Caicedo

 

Having been heavily linked with a summer move to Chelsea, Liverpool have stolen a march on their rivals in the race to sign Moises Caicedo. The Reds have agreed a British record transfer fee with Brighton for the ball winning machine as the Blues continued to dilly-dally over their decision to match the Seagulls' asking price for the Ecuador international. 

 

As such, Liverpool have - no pun intended - swooped in for Caicedo and it looks as though a deal for the 21-year-old will completed sooner rather than later as they look to continue their midfield overhaul. Supporters have been understandably concerned about the lack of incomings in the middle of the park this summer. Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai have joined, but after the latter signed early last month, there has been little movement in the way of investment in a key area of the pitch. 

 

In that time, both Jordan Henderson and Fabinho have departed, leaving the Reds short in midfield. A ball winner has been the priority for the Jurgen Klopp's side, even more so once it became clear Fabinho would be leaving, with Romeo Lavia previously the top target for the Merseyside outfit. However, they'll be looking to wrap up a deal for Caicedo as quickly as possible, and he could prove the perfect fit to anchor the midfield. 

 

Only Joao Palhinha (147) made more tackles than Caicedo (100) in the Premier League last season, and this willingess to get stuck in is a driving force behind Liverpool's interest in the latter. This is all the more important when you consider the system Liverpool will likely play this season. While Klopp will line his side up in a 4-3-3 system, they'll likely resemble a 3-2-2-3 when they are on the ball with Trent Alexander-Arnold pushing into midfield to maximise his creativity, granting Mac Allister and Szoboszlai the license to support the attack. 

 

 

The aim for Caicedo, then, will be to limit the pressure opponents apply to the Liverpool defence, which in turn allows the attacking players the chance to wreak havoc in the final third. Much of that will be down to the performances of Alexander-Arnold. There's no denying he endured a difficult start to the season, but saw a vast improvement in his output once Klopp moved the right-back into a more advanced position when dominating opponents. 

 

As such, Klopp will need his ball winner to not only protect the defence, but recycle possession effectively to ensure the raft of attacking talent at the German's disposal is fully utilised. This is another strength to Caicedo's game as he exhibited in the Premier League last season. Of central midfielders to make at least 10 starts, only Rodri (91.3%) and Enzo Fernandez (89.1%) returned a better pass success rate than Caicedo (88.8%) in England's top tier last term. 

 

This will enable Liverpool to quickly transition from defence to attack with Caicedo able to win the ball and shift possession on to Alexander-Arnold, who in turn can pry apart defences with ease. There is also the additional versatility that will help ensure Liverpool won't be caught out defensively when the latter gets forward. 

 

One critique of Klopp's decision to push Alexander-Arnold into midfield was that it left a gaping hole on the right side that left Ibrahima Konate with plenty of space to cover. Konate has the pace to provide cover, but has proven rash when off the ball, noted in that only Fabinho (1.8) committed more fouls per 90 than the 24-year-old (1.7) of all Liverpool players in the Premier League last season. 

 

Additional protection for Konate, then, would be crucial, and Caicedo's experience of playing right-back would ensure the centre-back doesn't need to cover a gulf of space on the right side of the Reds backline. While Liverpool have had to break the bank to land Caicedo, he'll help transform this midfield. Whereas the Reds' looked light in the middle of the park, suddenly there is renewed belief among Anfield that they can really challenge for the Premier League crown.

The reasoning behind Liverpool's decision to break the bank for Moises Caicedo