Caicedo (and Lavia) Saga Drags On. My Latest Assessment and Possible Alternate Plans

Hopefully my final word, until deals are done!

I don’t like getting too heavily dragged into transfer sagas, and I was trying to have a quiet week.

So, that went well.

I'm just hanging about in limbo, waiting to write something about the player/s Liverpool sign; or maybe not writing anything about the two players who end up at Chelsea.

Any time I write and publish something, the situation changes.

Will the Reds be signing Moisés Caicedo, or Roméo Lavia, or ending up seeking to bring István Kozma out of retirement?

With the Reds' bid accepted (and Chelsea having failed with their deadline bid) you’d expect to have seen Caicedo at Liverpool by now, undergoing a medical. Or at least talk of it happening.

Maybe that is taking place. But it doesn’t sound like it is. And Brighton can only accept a bid; they can't force a player to join the highest bidder.

A player can dig his heels in, and force his club to accept an alternate, lower bid (and for Brighton, getting over £100m from anyone for a player they never want to see again has to be a priority, so they can move on and rebuild.)

The trouble is, the longer Liverpool hang on for Caicedo – as Chelsea presumably try to find ways to hijack the deal, with yet more money possibly found stuffed behind some virtual sofa from the year 2037, as they borrow against a future that hasn't even happened, as they burn money like the KLF on steroids – the worse it gets for the Reds in all senses if it falls through.

And yet none of that means it has to be a disaster for the window itself; time is running out, players are off the market, and it would be a huge blow; but deals can still be struck.

The Reds can’t worry about Todd’s tiny todger, and how he’s wildly over-compensating. Liverpool need players, not dick-swinging.

So, this is a look at the various possibilities of what happens next, including why Caicedo might be dallying; when Liverpool will need to walk away from the Caicedo deal, if the player doesn't (very) quickly make up his mind; as well as potential alternatives to sign.

This latest assessment is for paying subscribers only, as part of the ongoing debate to the TTT Main Hub (which has been superb from subscribers, with all kinds of intelligent perspectives and analysis).