Brighton won’t allow Liverpool target Moises Caicedo to leave midway through the season, according to former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson.

The Reds, along with Manchester United and Chelsea, have been linked with a bid for the Ecuadorian international in the January transfer window, but Robinson believes the Seagulls will be keen to keep hold of the player:

“No chance. 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.”

Reports have suggested that Brighton may consider selling Caicedo for £50m, but Robinson’s assessment is unlikely to be far off the mark. Under the stewardship of owner Tony Bloom, the south coast club have tended to drive hard bargains when it comes to transfer fees.

In addition to the £62m they received from Chelsea for Cucurella, they sold Ben White to Arsenal for £50m a year earlier. Combined with the recent arrival of Roberto De Zerbi as the club’s new head coach, they will want to give the Italian time with the current squad so he can have the best chance of succeeding. Liverpool may have to wait until the summer if they want to secure Caicedo’s services.