Former Chelsea and Arsenal star Emmanuel Petit has claimed money was the only reason behind Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia's decision to snub Liverpool.
The two midfielders both drew plenty of interest from Merseyside this summer, but ultimately opted to move to Chelsea, with Caicedo leaving Brighton and Lavia departing Southampton.
With Liverpool needing to sign a defensive midfielder having already let Jordan Henderson and Fabinho leave for Saudi Arabia this summer, a move for either Caicedo or Lavia made sense. Lavia, in particula, was thought to be held in high regard at Anfield, with Liverpool tracking him for months before his eventual move to Chelsea.
However, Chelsea's free spending approach saw them land Caicedo and Lavia for a combined fee of £173million. And former Blues midfielder Emmanuel Petit reckons the pair only joined Chelsea due to them being willing to pay more than Liverpool.
READ MORE:Al-Ittihad 'prepared to go all out' for Mohamed Salah as Liverpool issue response
"Caicedo signed for Chelsea when he was linked with Liverpool, just like Romeo Lavia," Petit told BettingSites.
"I am not going to say anything stupid but we all know why they went to Chelsea. Sportingly, the best decision right now would be to go to Liverpool. If I am Caicedo or Lavia, I am going to Liverpool instead of Chelsea because I can’t see a clear plan for what is going on at Chelsea.
Should Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia have opted to move to Liverpool over Chelsea? Let us know in the comments section below.
"Thirty-five players? Come on. How many players do they need? It is going to be a nightmare just like what happened last season.”
Petit added: "For me, the answer is very easy. If you ask somebody why Caicedo and Lavia decided to go, the answer is just money. Money talks for the clubs and for the players."
While Chelsea' engine room looks to be overflowing, Liverpool could do with adding another defensive option to their midfield.
Follow the Daily Star on Threads
Japanese international Wataru Endo has been brought in as a stop-gap option, signing another defensive midfielder this summer is a must for Liverpool. Failure to do so would be negligent given the Reds aspirations this term.
Free William Hill shop bets every day of the York Ebor Festival
We’ve teamed up with William Hill, to give you a free bet to place in-shop every day of the much anticipated York Ebor Festival! Pick up your Daily Star every day of the festival until Saturday August 26, 2023 to get your hands on a FREE William Hill bet and make this great event even more memorable. Find out more here.
Bet 18+ Only. Terms apply.
While Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai are both excellent signings who will go on to make plenty of appearances for Liverpool in the years to come, Jurgen Klopp's side need to find balance in midfield, something which Caicedo or Lavia could have duly provided.
Source: Read Full Article
