Moises Caicedo has completed his £115million ($146m) transfer to Chelsea.
Chelsea and Brighton & Hove Albion finally reached an agreement over a deal for the 21-year-old on Sunday night.
The midfielder has signed an eight-year contract with the option of a further year. Brighton hold a sell-on clause as part of the deal.
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Liverpool saw an £110m bid for the Ecuador international accepted by Brighton on Friday but the player’s preference was always a move to the London club.
Chelsea’s offer has seen them pay more up front than Liverpool were set to with the add-ons expected to be very achievable.
Caicedo said: “I didn’t have to think twice when Chelsea called me, I just knew I wanted to sign for the club. It’s a dream come true to be here and I can’t wait to get started with the team.”
Brighton chairman Tony Bloom said: “Moises expressed a strong desire to move on, and at that point it was crucial our valuation was met in full. I’d like to thank him for his exceptional performances for the club, and I wish him all the best going forward.”
Chelsea have pursued Caicedo all summer after seeing Mason Mount, Mateo Kovacic, N’Golo Kante and Ruben Loftus-Cheek all leave the club.
It’s only ever been Chelsea. pic.twitter.com/LCYf6A2BQr
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He becomes their tenth signing of the window following Christopher Nkunku, Nicolas Jackson and Robert Sanchez in arriving at Stamford Bridge.
Axel Disasi, Lesley Ugochukwu, Angelo Gabriel, Diego Moreira, Alex Matos and Ishe Samuels-Smith have also joined the club this summer.
Chelsea drew 1-1 with Liverpool in their 2023-24 Premier League opener on Sunday.
Caicedo did not appear in Brighton’s first game of the season — a 4-1 win over Luton Town on Saturday — but could now make his debut for his new club away at West Ham United on Sunday.
GO DEEPER
Caicedo: The £4m bargain Brighton turned into a £115m midfielder in under three years
Why Chelsea paid £115m for Caicedo
Analysis from Liam Twomey, Mark Carey and Thom Harris
In their pursuit of Caicedo, Chelsea were confronted with a problem of their own creation.
By agreeing to make Enzo Fernandez the most expensive player in Premier League history six months ago in a £106million move from Benfica, Todd Boehly and Clearlake inadvertently set the market for the most coveted midfielders looking to move clubs this summer.
The staggering size of that deal emboldened West Ham to make sure they extracted a nine-figure fee from Arsenal for Rice following protracted negotiations. Jude Bellingham’s blockbuster move to Real Madrid from Borussia Dortmund will also rise significantly above the £100million mark if add-ons are activated in the coming years.
Caicedo’s body of work at the highest level is smaller than that of both Englishmen, but Brighton can credibly argue that he belongs in their talent — and therefore price — bracket based on what he showcased in the Premier League in 2022-23.
Fernandez and Caicedo could provide a formidable midfield foundation at Stamford Bridge for the rest of this decade at a minimum.
It is a hugely attractive prospect and Brighton knew full well they could extract maximum value for Caicedo as a result.
GO DEEPER
Moises Caicedo could be the perfect midfield foil for Enzo Fernandez at Chelsea
(Photo: Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images for Premier League)
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