Amid the drama of both clubs’ pursuit of Moises Caicedo, Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group will be in attendance for today’s clash at Chelsea.
Though Brighton‘s deadline passed on Thursday night with Liverpool the highest bidders at £111 million, Caicedo is now set to join Chelsea.
That is according to reports on Saturday evening, with the Ecuadorian claimed to have turned down a move to Anfield provided he can join Mauricio Pochettino’s side.
It remains to be seen whether Chelsea can afford the proposed £115 million deal given FFP restrictions, but though Liverpool have not withdrawn their offer, it seems hard to picture Caicedo joining the Reds now.
Sunday brings a meeting between Chelsea and Liverpool at Stamford Bridge, and according to the Mirror, FSG will be in attendance.
John W Henry and his wife Linda Pizzuti Henry arrived in London earlier in the weekend, and will be in place to watch the Premier League opener.
The Liverpool owners are described as “frustrated and unhappy” with Brighton breaking their self-imposed deadline to accommodate a new bid from Chelsea.
It stands to reason that relations between FSG and Chelsea owner Todd Boehly will be fraught, which adds another wrinkle to the 4.30pm kickoff.
While their presence is unlikely to change the situation as Caicedo prepares to join the Blues on a rumoured eight-year deal, it could prove significant in other business.
Clearly, FSG are willing to spend big on the right player as Jurgen Klopp oversees a major rebuild this summer, with that £111 million bid enough to break the British transfer record.
And if Caicedo does head to west London instead, the focus will turn to securing other targets as swiftly as possible, with the campaign now underway.
Southampton‘s Romeo Lavia is an obvious candidate, though Liverpool were previously unwilling to meet a £50 million valuation and Chelsea themselves have bid a reported £55 million.
Other possibilities include Crystal Palace‘s Cheikh Doucoure, Borussia Monchengladbach’s Manu Kone and Aston Villa‘s Boubacar Kamara, who have all been reliably linked.
Henry last attended a Liverpool game in April, that being the 2-1 win away to West Ham, and before that it was the 9-0 thrashing of Bournemouth at Anfield.
That record-breaking win came days before deadline day, with Arthur brought in as an emergency loan signing in a disappointing end to the summer transfer window.
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