Caicedo joined Chelsea for £115m earlier this month, which was a British record fee.
Before signing for Chelsea, however, Jurgen Klopp announced in a press conference that a deal for the player was nearly complete.
So why did Liverpool lose out on Caicedo?
According to The Athletic, Liverpool had already dismissed the notion of making an attempt for Caicedo because they were aware Chelsea had been working on a deal since January and felt it was too far advanced for anyone to rival them.
However, after the sales of Jordan Henderson and Fabinho, Liverpool’s need for a defensive midfielder became dire.
Jurgen Klopp entered the fray by launching a ‘charm offensive’ with a series of messages making it clear how just much he admired Caicedo as a player and how much he wanted the 21-year-old to play for him. But Caicedo’s mind was made up. He wanted the move to Chelsea, and nothing else.
It is added that Chelsea are under the impression the salary was not a decisive factor behind Caicedo’s choice and that he would have earned around the same, if not more, at Liverpool.
