Moises Caicedo and Jurgen Klopp exchanged text messages before he rejected Liverpool for Premier League record Chelsea transfer: Reports

Chelsea midfielder Moises Caicedo reportedly exchanged text messages with Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp, informing him he didn't want to join the Reds.

According to The Athletic, Klopp contacted Caicedo just hours after his Merseyside outfit reached a £111 million agreement with Brighton & Hove Albion. The Ecuadorian looked set to head to Anfield after long being expected to join Chelsea.

Klopp expressed to the 21-year-old through text how much he admired him. He tried convincing him the move to Anfield. However, Caicedo made it clear that he didn't want to join Liverpool and instead wanted to join Mauricio Pochettino's Blues.

It came as a massive blow to Klopp who had confirmed his club's agreement with Brighton in a press conference. The German coach was also forced to backtrack on his old comments regarding spending £100 million on a player. He said:

"Everything changed. Do I like it? No. Did I realise I was wrong? Yes. That's the way it goes."

However, his comments weren't necessary given that it was Chelsea who ended up luring Caicedo to Stamford Bridge. He joined the Blues in a British transfer record £115 million deal from Brighton.

Klopp's admiration of the Ecuador international comes as no surprise given his rise in English football. He excelled while at the Amex and was one of the Premier League's best-performing midfielders last season.

Caicedo made 43 appearances across competitions for the Seagulls, scoring one goal and providing one assist. He was the midfield anchor for Roberto De Zerbi's side as they qualified for the UEFA Europa League with a sixth-placed finish.

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Moises Caicedo endured dismal debut for Chelsea following Liverpool snub

Caicedo gave away a penalty on his debut.

The Ecuadorian has already made his debut for Chelsea following his blockbuster move. He came on as a second-half substitute in the Blues' shocking 3-1 defeat to 10-man West Ham United last Sunday (August 20).

Caicedo had a debut to forget as he gave away a penalty in added time that Lucas Paqueta converted to seal a dramatic win for the Hammers. He also lost possession eight times and committed two fouls during his 37 minutes of action at the London Stadium.

The former Liverpool target reacted to his disappointing display with a post on his Instagram account. He wrote:

"It wasn’t the debut that I expected but I’m happy to get my first minutes with this big club. We’ll keep working hard to put this team where it deserves. Thanks to the fans who are supporting me."

Klopp reacted to missing out on Caicedo by signing Japanese midfielder Wataru Endo from Bundesliga side VfB Stuttgart for £16.2 million. He also made his debut last weekend as Liverpool beat Bournemouth 3-1 at Anfield despite Alexis Mac Allister's sending-off.