Chelsea have agreed a British-record fee for the transfer of Ecuadorian midfielder Moises Caicedo, who has been one of the most sought-after players in the ongoing summer window.
The combative midfielder is set to undergo a medical on Monday before completing the move and he will join the Blues from Brighton and Hove Albion in a deal that is set to be around £115 million plus add-ons.
Caicedo will sign an eight-year contract until 2031, with an option for a further year on the table, and Brighton are also said to have a sell-on clause on the player.
BREAKING: Moisés Caicedo to Chelsea, here we go! Agreement reached and sealed right now — it’s gonna British record transfer fee ???????????????? #CFC
£115m fee plus sell-on clause included for Brighton.
Medical tests, booked.
Caicedo will sign until June 2031 with option until 2032. pic.twitter.com/7O8whsRLdK
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 13, 2023
The Ecuador international has been in talks with the Blues since the 2022–23 campaign, and despite reports of an agreed deal between Liverpool and the Seagulls for a fee of around £111 million, he chose to sign with the Stamford Bridge outfit.
Brighton rejected several lower bids from Chelsea after the latter tendered numerous bids, but the Seagulls held their ground and drove a hard bargain after agreeing their star would not go for less than £100 million.
Tony Bloom’s side is making a huge profit off the youngster, who was brought in from Ecuadorian side Independiente del Valle for less than £10 million. He was loaned out to Beerschot but was subsequently called back to the team due to a shortage of midfield options.
Caicedo became a regular in the Seagulls side last season, cementing his position as one of the best midfielders in the Premier League by scoring two goals and providing three assists in 53 matches at the Falmer Stadium.
He becomes their second big-money signing in under a year as they break the British transfer record for the second time in seven months after the signing of Argentine midfielder Enzo Fernandez from Benfica.
