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ECB Reporters Network14-Aug-2016
ScorecardSam Curran stood out for Surrey with five wickets•Clint Hughes/Getty Images

Eighteen-year-old seam-bowler Sam Curran took the starring role with five wickets as Warwickshire and Surrey delivered a superb day of Specsavers County Championship cricket at Edgbaston.Curran, playing only his 13th first-class match, took 5 for 44, including a devastating burst of 3 for 2 in 18 balls, to leave the home side reeling at 101 for 6 in reply to Surrey’s 252.But led by Keith Barker and Ian Bell, Warwickshire recovered to reach 247, a deficit of just five runs, before Surrey reached 33 for 1 second time round in 15 overs up to the close.On an excellent pitch, offering reward for all types of bowler and demanding high batting skills, the contest has been utterly compelling and of an intensity, quality and drama redolent of Test cricket. A good-sized crowd was engrossed all day and ended it without a clue which way the game will swing next.Warwickshire began their first innings at start of play and soon lost Varun Chopra, who edged Tom Curran to Jason Roy at second slip. Ian Westwood and Jonathan Trott added 40 from 15 overs before falling in the space of nine balls from Stuart Meaker. Trott, on 13, edged an attempted cut and wicketkeeper Steven Davies parried the ball to Kumar Sangakkara at slip. Westwood reached 45, his championship-best this season, then edged to Roy.From 91 for 3 at lunch, Warwickshire then had their middle-order ripped out by that high-class salvo from Sam Curran. Laurie Evans and Tim Ambrose were caught by Rory Burns in the gully, in the latter case quite brilliantly, and Rikki Clarke fell lbw to a swinging yorker.That was 101 for 6 but Bell and Barker added 95 in 28 overs – the biggest partnership of the match so far. While Barker was aggressive, Bell was at his most resolute and it took a near-unplayable ball to remove him when Sam Curran got one to rear off a length and Dominic Sibley made no mistake in the slips.When Sibley pounced again to end Barker’s resistance, Curran had his five-for but Jeetan Patel and Chris Wright ensured that 50 were added for the last two wickets to take their side almost to parity. Patel then had Sibley well-caught by a diving Westwood at short leg in the penultimate over of the day.

Alex Hales might have missed out on a maiden century for the third time in the series but he could console himself with the knowledge that he has established himself in England’s top order for the foreseeable future

George Dobell at Lord's12-Jun-2016Alex Hales might have missed out on a maiden century for the third time in the series but he could console himself with the knowledge that he has established himself in England’s top order for the foreseeable future and given his side a decent chance of completing a third successive victory over Sri Lanka.Hales, who followed innings of 86 at Headingley and 83 in Durham with 94 here, admitted he was “frustrated” at failing to convert such scores to three figures. But, having answered many of the questions about his technique that hung over him at the start of the summer, he reasoned that, on balance, he had still enjoyed an encouraging series. He also conceded that he benefited from some significant luck during the course of this innings.Quite apart from being dropped twice, Hales also saw the DRS go his way when Sri Lanka reviewed an lbw shout and survived being clean bowled by Nuwan Pradeep when umpire Rod Tucker incorrectly called a no-ball.”It is frustrating,” he said. “But if someone had offered me nearly 300 runs at an average of 60 at the start of the series [he has scored 292 at 58.40], I’d probably have taken it. To have gone into the final Test 2-0 up and helped get the team off to some good starts, it could hardly have been a better. Well, it could if I had converted some starts, but so far so good.”I’d had my fair share of luck. I was bowled off that close no-ball and there were umpire’s calls and edges, so I guess my luck ran out. It’s disappointing to come so close and miss out again. When you get so close you have to be converting. But it was pretty decent delivery.”Hales was particularly pleased with his increased assurance outside off stump. While his tour to South Africa was dogged by dismissals to edges behind the wicket – he averaged 17.00 in the four-Test series, with a top-score of 60 – here he has dealt with Sri Lanka’s seam attack relatively comfortably and felt that he was also improving against spin bowling.”I had a lot of questions to answer after South Africa,” he said. “The biggest thing I’ve improved is my decision-making outside off stump. Whether it is leaving the ball or attacking the ball.”In South Africa, a few times, I was tentatively hanging my bat in the channel. So I’ve tried to be more positive. Positive in my leaving and positive when I’m looking to attack. It’s still something I’m improving on each game and there are other areas to work on as well, but I feel I’m heading in the right direction.”Maybe in the first couple games this summer, I have tried to go after the spinners more than should have. But this game I have played a lot better and picked my attacking options better against Rangana Herath. I’m learning from my mistakes and looking to build on this later in the summer. I know there are tougher challenges to come.”Hales admitted he had not changed his shot when bowled by the no-ball – it is doubtful whether a batsman has time to do so against a fast bowler at Test level – but suggested that, had a spinner been bowling, there may have been time to change his stroke. For that reason, it remains hard to envisage a scenario where an incorrect on-field no-ball call could be rescinded by TV evidence.”If the spinners are bowling, I guess your eyes could light up if hear the no-ball call,” he said. “But I have a bit of sympathy with Rod Tucker. You think about how fast the game moves and how close he was to the front line and it’s a split decision he has to make at the time. Rod had told him a few times that over he was getting close to the front line.”Perhaps the England declaration was also significant. While the first few years of Alastair Cook’s captaincy were marked by some low-risk, attritional cricket, here he has risked the possibility of losing in the attempt to win the game.The England side of a couple of years ago may well have batted on ensure they could not have lost the match before attempting to bowl out Sri Lanka but, in keeping with the more positive style that has characterised much of their cricket in the last 12 months, England have given Sri Lanka an outside chance of victory. Memories of West Indies’ run chase in 1984 were revived for some, though this pitch – offering a bit of spin and some uneven bounce at one end – looks considerably more demanding.”We could have batted on,” Hales said. “But this is the positive option. There’s still plenty of life in the pitch, so if they chase 350 or whatever it is, they deserve to win.”

Just like previous seasons, Royal Challengers Bangalore look to have a very balanced squad, even though they have failed to win a single edition

Shashank Kishore07-Apr-20165:07

Agarkar: RCB still trying to address their bowling

2015 formRoyal Challengers Bangalore were ousted in the second Qualifier by Chennai Super Kings in a last-over finish in Ranchi.Big PictureHow a team with all the T20 riches in the world doesn’t have a single IPL trophy after eight seasons can perhaps make for a good case study. While it underlines the unpredictability of the shortest format, Royal Challengers haven’t helped their cause by being over-reliant on Chris Gayle, Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers to cover for the vacuum in the middle.RCB squad

Virat Kohli (capt), AB de Villiers, Chris Gayle, David Wiese, Mandeep Singh, Sarfaraz Khan, S Aravind, Varun Aaron, Shane Watson, Adam Milne, Stuart Binny, Travis Head, Yuzvendra Chahal, Sachin Baby, Iqbal Abdulla, Praveen Dubey, Akshay Karnewar, Kane Richardson, Abu Nechim, Harshal Patel, Kedar Jadhav, Samuel Badree, Vikramjeet Malik, Vikas Tokas, KL Rahul, Parvez Rasool

If there is a lesson in how to not run a marathon, Royal Challengers offer the best example. They’ve often begun like it is a 100 meter dash, only to lose momentum before making a desperate bid for the qualifiers. The end result: runners-up in 2009 and 2011, and vast stretches of inconsistency in between.They head into the new season, like they do most times, with a well-balanced team. They will welcome into their ranks the recently-retired Shane Watson and Stuart Binny, who offer the all-round depth they have often missed in the middle, although the bowling unit isn’t entirely settled. They will miss Mitchell Starc, the team’s second-highest wicket-taker last season, because of a foot injury, while there is an injury cloud over Samuel Badree, who hurt his shoulder in the World T20 final.That means the bowling will largely depend on their local talent – the pace duo of Varun Aaron, S Aravind and legspinner Yuzvendra Chahal. Starc’s absence could give the injury-prone Adam Milne an opportunity to build on his gains from the World T20 – where he picked up three wickets in four matches at an economy rate of 7.43. Should the surfaces aid slow bowlers, they could consider including David Wiese, the South Africa allrounder who offers batting muscle lower down along with his handy medium-pace and offcutters.There has been some turmoil off the field, with Vijay Mallya – chairman of the franchise until recently – no longer part of the management. But it is unlikely those matters would affect on-field performances. Now to prove the team is not just about their ‘Big Three.’Burning questionsWhile batting is their stronger suit, an abundance of riches has left them with more questions. With Dinesh Karthik released before the auction, the team needs to decide if they go back to de Villiers. If he is freed of the responsibility, do they turn to KL Rahul, Travis Head or Kedar Jadhav?Rahul’s IPL numbers aren’t impressive. While he is best suited in the top three, would the team risk having him open with Gayle or prefer the lower-order hitting ability of Jadhav?Where does that leave Shane Watson? Do they slot him in the middle to shore up the batting or have him as a floater? And how will they manage Mandeep Singh and Sarfaraz Khan, who delivered last year at crunch moments, in a robust batting line-up?The go-to menKohli’s appetite for runs continues to get bigger. He scored 273 in five matches at the World T20, and was adjudged Player of the Tournament. He single-handedly carried India’s batting hopes, and would be expected to do more of the same, even though Gayle, de Villiers and Watson offer him some support in what is largely a blink-and-miss format. Kohli contributes more than just as a batsman. His fitness and freshness will go a long way in dictating Royal Challengers’ campaign.Bargain buyTravis Head, who set himself a base price of INR 30 lakhs, was bought for INR 50 lakhs. The Adelaide Strikers batsman, who was released by Delhi Daredevils, has since made his Australia debut in the home series against India. His form in the BBL, where he finished as the fifth-highest run-scorer with 299 runs at a strike rate of 155, makes him a like-for-like replacement for Gayle, who has been plagued with a number of injuries in the recent past.AvailabilityThe team is yet to announce a replacement for Starc, while they are waiting for a medical update from Badree, who has flown back to Trinidad to see a shoulder specialist.CoachesHead coach – Daniel Vettori, assistant coach – B Arun, batting coach – Trent Woodhill, bowling coach – Allan Donald, physiotherapist – Evan Speechley, strength and conditioning coach – Shankar BasuQuotes”We will miss Starc. It’s difficult bowling at the Chinnaswamy and so whenever we had him in the team we knew we had those four overs up our sleeve. That’s a loss but it’s an opportunity for the likes of Adam Milne and Kane Richardson to step up and fill in that slot. We are also hoping Badree recovers from his shoulder injury and gets back to the team as soon as possible.”

Tottenham Hotspur forward Richarlison is ‘very unlikely’ to join Juventus despite recent links to the Italian club, according to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: Richarlison to leave?

Richarlison has recently expressed his unhappiness with the game time that he has received at Tottenham so far this season, which could add more fuel to the fire of the reports linking him with a move away from the club.

ESPN have previously indicated that Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti is eyeing the Brazilian for a summer move, with CalcioMercatoWeb more recently reporting that Juventus are considering him as a potential Dusan Vlahovic replacement.

The Latest: Romano’s update

Speaking to CaughtOffside, Romano has now detailed that there is no truth in the rumours linking the forward with a move to the Serie A club.

The transfer guru said: “Despite some rumours in the Italian press, my understanding is that there is absolutely nothing between Juventus and Richarlison as of now,”

“Spurs spent big money for him, I think it’s very unlikely deal with Juventus and nothing is ongoing right now.

“It’s important to understand who will be the Spurs coach next season to understand more on Richarlison.”

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The Verdict: Good news

While the 25-year-old has £60m summer deal, Spurs should undoubtedly look to keep hold of him beyond the end of the season.

Although it has been sporadic, the former Watford man has displayed the vast quality that he possesses at times, most recently impressing in the 3-1 victory against Nottingham Forest, weighing in with an assist, to the delight of Tottenham fans.

Lauded as ‘incredible’ by the media for his performances with his country, it is only a matter of time before similar displays become the norm at club level, and Antonio Conte should look to give him an extended run in the team during the remainder of the campaign.

Australia’s vice-captain David Warner was involved in a heated exchange with a spectator as he walked off the ground after his dismissal by Kagiso Rabada on day two of the third Test in Cape Town.In the latest unsavoury episode of an eventful tour, Warner responded to his individual baiting from the spectator in scenes reminiscent of Merv Hughes’ infamous confrontation with a fan at the Wanderers in Johannesburg in 1994, for which he was given a suspended fine by the then Australian Cricket Board after bashing his bat against the barrier the spectator was behind.Warner’s exchange was less violent but more prolonged, immediately after he had lost a gladiatorial bout with Rabada. Bowled by Rabada after a frenetic innings of 30 from 14 balls in which he struck the Proteas spearhead for 4-4-4-6-4 in the five balls before his dismissal, Warner found the middle-aged male spectator waiting for him as he commenced his walk from the boundary to the Australian dressing room, greeting him with sarcastic applause and plenty of words.As the verbal barbs continued, Warner stopped to respond to the spectator, who was seated in the Members enclosure of the Western Province Cricket Club, before a security guard moved to intervene. Nevertheless the pair kept on exchanging words as they made their way up the stairs on either side of the fence separating the players from spectators – the incoming batsman Usman Khawaja walked past the two adversaries on his way to the middle.Australia’s security manager, Frank Dimasi, subsequently made his way down to the area and spoke with both the security guard and the spectator. Warner’s “baiter”, who was the guest of a member of WPCC, was later ejected from the ground. Several fans were also kicked out of Newlands for singing songs about Sonny Bill Williams. Numerous members of the Australian side, in addition to Warner, had been subjected to abuse from spectators concerning their wives and partners while in the field at Newlands during South Africa’s first innings.Australian touring teams have long acknowledged that they receive some of their harshest treatment from spectators in South Africa, although up to this point Warner’s tour had involved more exchanges with opponents than fans.In Durban he was captured on CCTV cameras exchanging words with Quinton de Kock, then responding angrily to the response from the South Africa wicketkeeper and needing to be physically restrained by team-mates as he climbed the stairwell at Kingsmead. That incident saw Warner fined and handed three demerit points under the ICC code of conduct, meaning he is one further disciplinary infraction away from a ban. De Kock was also fined over the episode, albeit on a lesser charge.Warner has alleged that his aggression was sparked by de Kock making personal remarks about his wife Candice. Between first two Test matches, offensive masks were distributed by fans in reference to her brief bathroom encounter with the rugby league player Sonny Bill Williams years before she and Warner became a couple. Two Cricket South Africa officials, Clive Eksteen and Altaaf Kazi, have been suspended by the home board after allowing fans wearing the masks to be admitted to St George’s Park in Port Elizabeth and then posing with them for a photograph.

Arsenal and Fulham have been facing off against one another for over a century since their first meeting in an FA Cup tie all the way back in February 1904, a game the north Londoners – then Woolwich Arsenal – won 3-2.

Football FanCast has everything you need to know as the two teams prepare to meet again in the Premier League.

Despite playing just two games of the new campaign, it's the Gunners that come into the tie in slightly better form, having won against both Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace. However, the nervy way those games concluded could give the Cottagers some encouragement.

For their part, the west Londoners kick-started their season with a brilliant 1-0 win away to Everton before succumbing to Brentford 3-0 on Saturday, losing Tim Ream to a red card in the process.

Arsenal vs Fulham: What's their head-to-head record?

Arsenal and Fulham have met 61 times since that initial clash in 1904, perhaps less often than people would've assumed. There have been some fairly large periods in which the two teams haven't met, like between 1915 and 1949, and 1968 and 2001.

The fixture has been heavily dominated by the Gunners throughout its history, with the men in red winning over two-thirds of games and drawing more than they've lost.

Arsenal wins: 42 Draws: 11 Fulham wins: 8 Arsenal vs Fulham: What's their record at Highbury/Emirates Stadium?

Arsenal have hosted their west London opponents 31 times over the years and have been utterly dominant when doing so. They've won 25 games at home – including one south of the river.

For their efforts, Fulham have managed to come away with a point on eight separate occasions, most recently in April 2021 – but have yet to record a victory when travelling to Arsenal.

It's been an incredibly one-sided affair at the home of the Gunners and helps to explain the lopsided nature of this fixture's results.

Arsenal wins: 25 Draws: 6 Fulham wins: 0 Arsenal vs Fulham: What's their record at Craven Cottage?

Fulham have had a better time of things when at home, winning eight of the 30 games played at Craven Cottage and drawing a further five.

However, the Gunners again dominate, even when away from their place. Their 17 wins are over double what their hosts have managed over the years, and so even though there is a better chance of a Fulham win, the odds remain in Arsenal's favour in west London.

Fulham wins: 8 Draws: 5 Arsenal wins: 17 Arsenal vs Fulham: What's their Premier League record?

The two teams have faced off 32 times since the inception of the Premier League, and unsurprisingly, it's three-time champions Arsenal that have been utterly dominant in that period. The north Londoners have won 23 of those meetings and drawn six.

However, Fulham have had at least some success since their first Premier League meeting in September 2001, achieving three victories, the last of which came in January 2012 courtesy of goals from Steve Sidwell and Bobby Zamora.

That said, since 2012, it has been one-way traffic, with Arsenal winning eight out of ten games and drawing only twice to take 26 of the 30 points on offer.

Arsenal vs Fulham: Which team has the most goals?

Given the sheer level of dominance when it comes to results, it shouldn't come as much of a surprise to hear that it's a similar story with the number of goals scored as well.

In their 61 meetings, the Gunners have managed to put away 136 goals, with the Cottagers only being able to reply with 66 of their own.

Unfortunately for Fulham, it doesn't get any better at home either, with the side scoring just 38 goals to Arsenal's 59.

When Arsenal host, it's been a barrage of goals from the home side. In 31 games, they've scored a massive 77 goals, whilst Fulham have only responded with 28 of their own – a ratio of 2.85 Arsenal goals for every Cottagers goal.

Arsenal vs Fulham: What happened in last season's fixtures?

Mikel Arteta's men won both fixtures against Marco Silva's outfit last season, and whilst the second game was a walk in the park, the encounter at the Emirates was a much tighter affair than many expected.

It was Fulham that opened the scoring in the second half, with Serbian striker Aleksandar Mitrovic finding the back of the net on 56 minutes – stunning the Islington crowd.

However, it took just eight minutes for the hosts to respond thanks to a deflected shot from captain Martin Odegaard which trickled past former Gunner Bernd Leno in goal.

The following 20 minutes saw sustained pressure from the home side until Gabriel Magalhaes lashed home the winner from a corner on 86 minutes.

The return fixture was a far more relaxing affair for the Arsenal faithful as the team found themselves 3-0 to the good by half-time thanks to a hat-trick of assists from January signing Leandro Trossard.

It was a goalless affair in the second 45, as with the match all but sewn up, there was no need to push their luck. Silva will be hoping his side can enact some revenge this weekend and come away with at least a point this time around.

Arsenal vs Fulham: What is Gabriel Martinelli's record?

Not many players in the current Arsenal squad have played many games against the Cottagers, as Arteta has completely overhauled the squad following his arrival in late 2019.

That said, Martinelli has a good record against Fulham, having played three games against the side, winning two of them, drawing one and scoring in the team's 3-0 demolition of the side earlier this year.

Arsenal vs Fulham: What is Raul Jimenez's record?

Jimenez has faced the Gunners eight times in his career, all in the Premier League for his former side Wolverhampton Wanderers.

In those eight games, he has emerged on the victorious side twice, with one point another two times and leaving empty-handed on four occasions. The 32-year-old has scored one goal and provided one assist for his teammates in those eight games.

However, with no goal or assist against Arsenal in his last five games against them, Fulham probably shouldn't expect too much from the Mexico international.

Arsenal vs Fulham: What is Arsenal's biggest win?

Arsenal's record win over Fulham is 5-1 – a result they have managed twice in their 61 meetings with their London rivals.

The first instance was a home game in the old First Division that saw inside forward Doug Lishman score a hat-trick alongside goals from Alex Forbes and Peter Goring back in the 1950/51 campaign.

Of course, most Arsenal fans will have a far better memory of the game at Craven Cottage in October 2018, when Unai Emery was still in the dugout.

Despite taking the lead on 29 minutes thanks to a strike from Alexandre Lacazette, the two sides went in on level terms at half-time following a 44th-minute equaliser from Andre Schurrle.

The second half was a total rout, however, with the Gunners playing some incredibly silky football and putting another four past Marcus Bettinelli to no reply.

Both Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Lacazette scored a brace that day, but Aaron Ramsey's goal is perhaps remembered most fondly for the outstanding build-up play and passing that led to it.

Arsenal vs Fulham: What is Fulham's biggest win?

Despite often being on the losing end of encounters with their cross-city rivals, Fulham has actually got the biggest win out of the two sides, and it came all the way back in November 1913 when both teams were in the old Second Division.

It was the first league encounter between the two sides after Arsenal had beaten the Cottagers 3-2 in the FA Cup nine years earlier, and it ended 6-1 to the home side in front of a crowd of around 35,000 fans.

Arsenal vs Fulham: What are the recent results?

Across the last six meetings between these two sides, it has been all Arsenal. The most recent game – taking place in mid-March – finished 3-0 to the visiting Gunners and was a completely one-sided affair from start to finish.

The game prior to that was a more tightly contested encounter, with Arsenal relying on an 86th-minute winner to claim all three points.

However, the match before that – in April 2021 – ended in a draw thanks to a 59th-minute penalty from Josh Maja and an incredibly late 90th-minute equaliser from Eddie Nketiah.

Arsenal vs Fulham: When is it?

Arsenal host Fulham on Saturday 26th August at 3pm UK time. Whilst it might not be one of the most prominent fixtures in the league, it is still a London derby and one that both sides will be desperate to win for very different reasons.

The Gunners go into it with two wins under their belt, however, with tactical changes being made by Arteta, they haven't looked anywhere near their flowing best and will look to make a statement with a big home win in front of their supporters.

It'll also be the perfect opportunity for Kai Havertz to justify his hefty price tag to the Arsenal faithful after failing to register a goal or assist in his first two league games.

On the other hand, Fulham will be looking to bounce back from their defeat to Brentford and maintain their push to stay in the top flight for another year.

The Cottagers, too, have a new signing that will be looking to prove his worth to the wider league in Raul Jimenez. The Mexican has come in to fill the void of Mitrovic, who has joined Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Hilal.

The ex-Wolves ace will have to perform brilliantly to get anything out of this Arsenal team at home.

With both clubs looking nervously at either end of the table, this clash should be an exciting one to watch and could be precisely what the sides need to springboard their respective campaigns.

Fabrizio Romano has provided a big update in the Moises Caicedo saga involving Liverpool.

The Ecuadorian looks set to leave Brighton this summer

What is the latest Moises Caicedo transfer news?

The Caicedo saga took a shock turn on Thursday.

All window long, Chelsea have seemingly been leading the race for the midfielder, having seen multiple bids rejected throughout the window, with the most recent offer of £80m being rejected instantly by the south coast side, who are keen to keep one of their stars ahead of their first season in European football. Caicedo has informed the club of his desire to depart this summer, and has even missed training sessions in an attempt to force Brighton's hand, however the club have stood firm.

Liverpool have now made their move to try and bring the player to Anfield, however there are conflicting reports regarding the saga. According to Matt Law, the Merseyside club have submitted a bigger bid for Caicedo than the Blues have managed all window, presumably in response to the London sides £48m bid for Romeo Lavia, who has been the subject of Liverpool's transfer saga. On the other hand, Paul Joyce reports that Liverpool have not bid Caicedo, but instead have just made contact with the South Coast club for information on the situation as part of their "due diligence" in the transfer market, despite the Merseyside club believing that he will still join Chelsea.

German giants Bayern Munich have also reportedly joined the race for the player, who is valued at £100m. However, with the club still pursuing a deal for Tottenham Hotspur forward Harry Kane, it is hard to see the side managing two big money deals this window.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Romano revealed that Liverpool have made contact and are preparing a verbal bid for the midfielder, with Brighton just wanting to sell to the highest bidder.

"In the morning, Liverpool made contact with Brighton, preparing an approach and a verbal bid for Moises Caicedo, so it’s true that Liverpool contacted Brighton and they wanted to enter into the race for Moises Caicedo. That’s the reality, trying to enter at the final stages because as I told you yesterday, Chelsea feel close to signing Caicedo but they still don’t have full agreement with Brighton. So, Liverpool wanted to enter and there was a call from Bayern, who wanted to be informed on the situation.

"On the player's side, the feeling from all the clubs is that Chelsea remain ahead in this story, we know that Chelsea have been working on this for a long time, but of course now for Brighton they are entering into a crucial moment, they have to make a decision, and Brighton’s intention is to sell the player to the biggest opportunity on the financial point of view, so the biggest bid is the one they want to accept, so let’s see what happens."

Read the latest Liverpool transfer news HERE…

Would Caicedo be a good signing for Liverpool?

Moises Caicedo would be the final piece of Jurgen Klopp's midfield rebuild.

So far this summer, the Reds have sold both Jordan Henderson and Fabinho to Al Ettifaq and Al Ittihad respectively, whilst letting Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Naby Keita and James MIlner all leave on free transfers. The side have moved to replace them, bringing in Dominik Szoboszlai from German club RB Leipzig by activating his £60m release clause, as well as adding Alexis Mac Allister from Brighton for his release clause of £35m. However, the side still lacks a real defensive stalwart to partner Trent Alexander-Arnold in the pivot, and that is where the Ecuadorian shines.

The 21-year-old recorded an average match rating of 7.08 last season according to Sofascore, whilst also winning 2.7 tackles and 1.5 interceptions per 90. The midfielder is also an impressive player in build up, completing 89% of his passes and averaging 1.2 key passes per match. The idea of linking back up with former teammate Mac Allister is also an exciting prospect, with journalist Julien Laurens stating:

"The Mac Allister – Caicedo partnership is just so so good. They are exactly what Liverpool need so badly."

It will be a tough deal to pull off, but it could be the final piece of the puzzle for Liverpool in terms of rebuilding their midfield.