LONDON — Chelsea have agreed a deal to sign Ecuador midfielder Moises Caicedo from Brighton & Hove Albion, according to media reports on Sunday which said the fee would be a British record.
Sky Sports reported that Chelsea will pay 115 million pounds ($145.98 million), eclipsing the previous mark set when they bought Enzo Fernandez from Benfica for 106.8 million pounds in January.
It added that Caicedo would sign an eight-year contract, with the Blues paying 100 million pounds plus 15 million in add-ons.
Moises Caicedo Chelsea transfer details
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
Brighton bought Moises Caicedo in 2021 for £4.5m.
Sold him to Chelsea for £115m in 2023.Benfica bought Enzo Fernández for €10M in 2022.
Sold him to Chelsea for £105M in 2023. pic.twitter.com/FMubuhbRDs
— Transfer News Live (@DeadlineDayLive) August 13, 2023
Chelsea had to increase their bid for Caicedo several times but eventually clinched a deal after Liverpool had also reached an agreement with Brighton reported at 111 million pounds.
The 21-year-old Caicedo still had four years to run on his Brighton contract but told the club he wished to leave and made it clear he wanted to go to Stamford Bridge rather than Anfield.
He signed for Brighton in February 2021 for a reported fee of 4.5 million pounds ($5.71 million) and was loaned to Belgian club Beerschot in August that year.
He was recalled by Brighton in January 2022 after 14 appearances in Belgium. Under coach Roberto De Zerbi, Caicedo blossomed in midfield last season.
Chelsea are also looking to strengthen their forward line under new boss Mauricio Pochettino after suffering injuries and key departures including Kai Havertz who signed for Arsenal and Christian Pulisic who left for Serie A side AC Milan.
The club's new French striker Christopher Nkunku, brought in for around 60 million pounds ($76.16 million), will be out for a "prolonged period" after having surgery on a knee injury.
Chelsea, who finished 12th last season, began their Premier League campaign with a 1-1 draw at home to Liverpool on Sunday.
(Reporting by Angelica Medina in Mexico City; Editing by Ken Ferris)
