Chelsea Football Club has successfully reached an agreement to acquire Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo for a groundbreaking British record fee of £115 million. This comes after Liverpool had previously agreed to a £111 million deal for the 21-year-old Ecuadorian player.
Despite Liverpool’s offer, Caicedo’s strong preference was for Chelsea, and the club has managed to secure his signature after multiple rejected proposals throughout the summer. This transaction marks the second time Chelsea has broken the British transfer record in 2023, the first being the £107 million acquisition of Argentine midfielder Enzo Fernandez in January.
While the initial fee stands at £100 million, half of the additional payments are reportedly easily attainable. Brighton has also negotiated a sell-on clause. During the summer, Brighton had set a fee threshold exceeding £100 million for Caicedo, believing that no club would meet it. Chelsea had previously bid £80 million for the player.
Despite the transfer drama, Brighton manager Roberto de Zerbi expressed his indifference toward Caicedo’s departure, emphasizing the irreplaceable spirit of the club. Caicedo, who arrived at Brighton from Ecuadorian side Independiente del Valle for £4 million in February 2021, is yet to undergo a medical examination.
Caicedo’s acquisition will mark Chelsea’s eighth signing this summer, following the arrivals of Axel Disasi, Christopher Nkunku, Nicolas Jackson, Lesley Ugochukwu, Angelo Gabriel, Robert Sanchez, and Diego Moreira. The new manager, Mauricio Pochettino, has been entrusted with revitalizing the squad after last season’s 12th-place Premier League finish.
Chelsea’s summer has seen several high-profile departures, including Mateo Kovacic, Edouard Mendy, Kalidou Koulibaly, N’Golo Kante, Mason Mount, Kai Havertz, Christian Pulisic, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Ethan Ampadu, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Abdul Rahman Baba, and former captain Cesar Azpilicueta.
The club’s Premier League campaign began with a 1-1 draw against Liverpool at home on Sunday.
