Before the battle on the pitch between Chelsea and Liverpool, the two clubs have gone head to head in the transfer market.
The Londoners and Merseysiders will renew hostilities in their Premier League opener on Sunday.
But their interest in each-others’ top target has added a subplot to the Stamford Bridge clash.
Chelsea have been working for weeks on a move for Brighton’s Moises Caicedo but now seen Liverpool make contact about a potential deal for a second midfielder from the south coast club having already signed Alexis Mac Allister earlier in the window.