Liverpool are interested in Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Moises Caicedo, having just plucked Alexis Mac Allister from the Seagulls' ranks.
That's according to the Telegraph, who claim that while Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United lead the charge for the Ecuadorian talent, Jurgen Klopp's Reds could enter the race.
Albion will demand more than £70m for their 21-year-old enforcer, with the Gunners failing with a bid of that value in January – with his club unwilling to sell at the season's midpoint. Previous reports stipulate it could well cost as much as £80m.
Caicedo penned a new deal at the Amex earlier this year, but this is not expected to dissuade his mounting pile of suitors, and while Liverpool will seek prudence in the market this summer, a signing of his calibre could be too sweet to resist.
How good is Moises Caicedo?
Only last season, the £60k-per-week Caicedo plied his trade out on loan in the Jupiler Pro League before earning a winter recall and starting Brighton's closing eight matches of the Premier League campaign, scoring one goal and supplying one assist.
He has replicated his direct return this year, starting 34 times in the league, and now stands as one of the most robust and unwavering midfielders in the division, and the interest from the division's top outfits is unequivocally warranted.
For Liverpool, he is exactly the kind of energetic and unflinching midfielder Klopp needs to rekindle the former verve, with the Reds falling by the wayside this term and finishing fifth, now facing a campaign in the Europa League.
Described as Ecuador's "crown jewel" by historian Enrico Castro-Montes, the 21-year-old ranks among the top 6% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for pass completion, as well as the top 15% for attempted passes, the top 13% for rate of tackles and the top 11% for rate of interceptions per 90, as per FBref.
While he boasts a somewhat different skill set to Liverpool's pass master, Thiago Alcantara, he could be the perfect heir to return the Anfield centre to its more industrious roots.
Thiago, for all of his flair and elegance, is incessantly tethered to the medical department and is out of contract in one year's time. Indeed, at 32-years-old Klopp will no doubt be seeking a successor. The German could well find that in Caicedo, a brute capable of easily displacing Liverpool's number 6.
The £200k-per-week Spaniard ranks among the top 3% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues for attempted passes, the top 4% for progressive passes, the top 4% for rate of tackles and the top 11% for rate of interceptions, illustrating the impact Caicedo could make, with Thiago heralded as "a special player" by teammate Andy Robertson.
Caicedo, who has been dubbed "terrific" by South American football expert Tim Vickery, has been riding the crest of a wave with the Seagulls this season and has led them to their first-ever European campaign with a sixth-place finish, and while Albion are on the up, the allure of playing a central role in the resurgence on Merseyside could leave Liverpool with an imperious new midfield enforcer.