Report: Chelsea sign Brighton's Caicedo for British-record £115M
Chelsea are finally getting their man.
The Blues finalized an agreement to sign Moises Caicedo for a British-record fee of £115 million on Sunday night after making a last-minute push to stop the Ecuadorian midfielder from joining Liverpool, according to David Ornstein of The Athletic.
Brighton & Hove Albion will also retain a sell-on clause as part of the deal.
Caicedo will sign an eight-year contract with Chelsea that includes an option to extend the agreement until 2032, Ornstein added. He completed his medical test on Monday, according to Ornstein.
Chelsea reportedly returned to the negotiating table less than 24 hours after Brighton accepted a £110-million bid from Liverpool. But the Reds hadn't yet discussed personal terms with Caicedo, who reportedly had his heart set on a move to Chelsea and traveled to London to try to get a deal done.
Brighton reportedly held an auction for the player Thursday night, with Liverpool emerging seemingly out of nowhere to top Chelsea's initial package worth up to £100 million. The west London outfit had failed with multiple bids this summer before Thursday's faceoff with their northern rivals.
The player's will had a huge impact on the outcome of the negotiations. Caicedo agreed to personal terms with Chelsea as early as May, according to transfer insider Fabrizio Romano.
Chelsea will now break the British transfer record for the second time in six months. They set the benchmark in February when they completed Enzo Fernandez's £106.8-million transfer from Benfica.
Caicedo figures to slot directly into Mauricio Pochettino's midfield alongside Fernandez, who was the standout performer in Chelsea's season-opening 1-1 draw against Liverpool at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
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