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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
Sport
Stephen Killen

'People treated me badly' - Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo discusses failed transfer move as Liverpool watch on

Brighton and Hove Albion star Moises Caicedo says he is remaining calm about his future on the south coast amid links to Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea.

The 21-year-old handed in a transfer request after a bid from Arsenal in the January window but a move to the Premier League leaders was blocked as he was kept out of the Seagulls squad until after the deadline.

Despite expressing desire to leave the AMEX Stadium, the Ecuadorian penned a new deal with Roberto De Zerbi's side which officially ties him to Brighton for the long-term. But it hasn't put a stop to speculation surrounding the future of the highly-rated midfielder, including from Anfield.

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Liverpool remain frequently linked with a host of midfielders, Caicedo among them, but those reports have intensified after interest in Jude Bellingham was cooled. The ECHO reported last week that the Reds want to sign at least two midfielders in the summer, with Chelsea's Mason Mount - who is approaching the last year of his deal at Stamford Bridge and would thus be significantly cheaper than Bellingham - now emerging as the new priority.

Liverpool have considered another Chelsea midfielder, Conor Gallagher, and retain an interest in Wolverhampton Wanderers' Matheus Nunes and Ryan Gravenberch of Bayern Munich with other midfielders being linked, including Fulham's Joao Palhinha, Brighton and Hove Albion man Alexis Mac Allister, as well as, Leicester City's Youri Tielemans.

"I’m sure I'm going to have many more opportunities," said Caicedo speaking to The Telegraph on his future after his January move was scuppered. "That’s why I continue to do things well. [But] it was tough. At the beginning when I didn’t end up going, lots of people would make fun of me on Instagram. People treated me badly. I didn’t check my social media because it would hurt me to see things.

"He approached me, we spoke and he told me to be calm. That it wouldn’t be the last club that would come in for me," the Ecuador international added on conversations with the De Zerbi. "I’d have more opportunities and he told me to keep on doing what I was doing and that I'll see in the future I wouldn't be sorry about staying.

"I just want to have a really good season with Brighton now, to finish off the season well and play really well and then we'll see what happens next season," he added in his first newspaper interview on the remainder of the campaign.

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