Chelsea have completed the signing of Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo for a £100m fee that could rise to a British club record of £115m.
Liverpool agreed a £111m deal for the 21-year-old Ecuador player on Friday.
But Caicedo’s preference was Chelsea and they finally succeeded with a bid on Sunday evening after having a succession of offers rejected.
He's Chelsea! ✊ pic.twitter.com/RcJHJtcHTm
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) August 14, 2023
“I didn’t have to think twice when Chelsea called me, I just knew I wanted to sign for the club,” Caicedo said.
“It’s a dream come true to be here and I can’t wait to get started with the team.”
Caicedo, who joined Brighton for £4m in February 2021, has agreed an eight-year contract at Stamford Bridge and the Blues have an option of a further year.
The additional £15m in payments is based mostly on appearances and Brighton expect to receive the entire £115m within a short period of time.
The Seagulls have also negotiated a significant sell-on clause for the midfielder.
If Chelsea pay the full £115m fee it would mean they break the British club record twice in 2023, following the £107m purchase of Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez in January.
“Moises has proved himself as a standout player in European football over the past 18 months,” said Chelsea co-sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley in a statement.
Brighton director of football David Weir believes Chelsea are signing “one of the top midfielders in the world”.