"No chance" - Paul Robinson believes Liverpool will not seal move to sign highly-rated target in January

Liverpool reportedly showed an interest in signing Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Moises Caicedo during the summer transfer window but couldn't get a deal across.

The Reds are expected to return for the midfielder in January but former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson doesn't think they'll be able to secure his services.

Liverpool are currently short of options in the middle of the pitch. With injuries to Thiago Alcantara, Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Curtis Jones over the course of the season, they have struggled to exert dominance on opposition teams.

ℹ️❗️𝙄𝙉𝙁𝙊: #Liverpool’s interest in Moises Caicedo (20) is long standing. Offers are expected in January with several Premier League clubs keeping tabs on situation including #LFC & Chelsea. Brighton would want at least 50M 🇪🇨💰

Source: @JacobsBen. https://t.co/Sy0pYErgw4

This has made it imperative for the Merseysiders to bolster their options in that department when the transfer window reopens in January.

Moises Caicedo appears to be a decent option to add to their ranks but Paul Robinson believes Brighton won't be open to letting go of the midfielder in the winter.

“No chance,” the Englishman told Football Insider when asked if Caicedo could go to Liverpool in January.

“That is not a January deal. Brighton are not in a situation where they need to sell players. We saw that with [Marc] Cucurella. They demanded an astronomical price.

“They will want to give the manager time to assess his squad and his players and do what he wants in January."

The Reds signed Arthur Melo on loan from Juventus to provide a temporary fix to their midfield injury issues.

Brighton, on the other hand, recently made a managerial change, with Roberto De Zerbi replacing Graham Potter in the dugout earlier this month.

Paul Robinson believes that the new tactician will be reluctant to let any player leave as he doesn't have much time to assess his squad, especially with the World Cup around the corner.

“The World Cup is only two months away. [Roberto] De Zerbi does not have much time to assess his squad. I cannot see there being any major outgoings," the former England goalkeeper said.

“They might bring in players that the manager wants but I cannot see a player like Caicedo leaving,” he added.

Who else could Liverpool sign in January?

The midfielder has been a huge revelation at Brighton.

According to Express, Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham is one of Liverpool's top targets for the January transfer window. The 19-year-old will definitely command a hefty fee, with his market value currently standing at €90 million as per Transfermarkt.

The Reds have also been linked with the likes of Youri Tielemans, Douglas Luis, Nicolo Barella and Houssem Aouar. It remains to be seen who will end up completing the switch to Anfield when the market reopens in the winter.