Chelsea secures a British record deal by paying £115 million for Brighton’s Caicedo.
Chelsea has reached an agreement to sign Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo for a record-breaking fee of £115 million, setting a new British record. Previously, Liverpool had secured a £111 million deal for the 21-year-old Ecuadorian player, but Caicedo’s preference has been Chelsea. After facing multiple rejections from Brighton this summer, Chelsea’s persistent bids have finally succeeded.
This latest fee marks the second time Chelsea will break the British record in 2023, the first being the £107 million acquisition of Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez in January. However, the signing of Caicedo is pending a medical examination. The deal involves an initial fee of £100 million, with the possibility of easily achievable additional payments. Brighton has also negotiated a sell-on clause as part of the agreement.
Brighton had set a fee exceeding £100 million for Caicedo during this transfer window, believing it to be unreachable. Chelsea had initially bid £80 million. Brighton’s manager, Roberto de Zerbi, expressed that larger clubs might buy their players, but they cannot buy their team’s soul or spirit.
Caicedo, who joined Brighton from Ecuadorian side Independiente del Valle for £4 million in February 2021, made his Premier League debut in April 2022. He had expressed his desire to leave Brighton during the January transfer window, but Arsenal’s multiple offers were rejected. Eventually, he signed a contract extension until 2027 with Brighton in March.
The signing of Caicedo will make him Chelsea’s eighth addition this summer, joining other signings such as Axel Disasi, Christopher Nkunku, Nicolas Jackson, Lesley Ugochukwu, Angelo Gabriel, Robert Sanchez, and Diego Moreira. With the arrival of new manager Mauricio Pochettino, Chelsea aims to overhaul the squad after finishing 12th in the Premier League last season.
Several key players, including Mateo Kovacic, Edouard Mendy, N’Golo Kante, Mason Mount, Kai Havertz, Christian Pulisic, Kalidou Koulibaly, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Ethan Ampadu, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Abdul Rahman Baba, and former captain Cesar Azpilicueta, have already left the club this summer.
Chelsea began their “Premier League campaign” with a 1-1 draw against Liverpool at home on Sunday.
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