Chelsea agree British record fee for Moises Caicedo

AFP

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.

Chelsea will pay 115 million pounds (AED 535 million), eclipsing the previous mark set when they bought Enzo Fernandez from Benfica for 106.8 million in January.

It added that Caicedo would sign an eight-year contract, with the Blues paying 100 million plus 15 million in add-ons.

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 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, 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.

More from Sports News

  • Liverpool hold on to beat Everton 2-1 in Merseyside derby

    Liverpool held off a spirited Everton fightback to claim a 2-1 Premier League victory in a tense Merseyside derby at Anfield on Saturday, preserving their perfect start to the season and moving further ahead atop the table after five games.

  • Baku to stay on F1 calendar until 2030

    Azerbaijan will stay on the Formula One calendar until at least 2030 after the sport announced a four-year contract extension on Saturday.

  • Alcaraz dazzles as Team Europe take 3-1 lead in Laver Cup

    Defending champions Team Europe stormed out of the gates on the opening day of the Laver Cup in San Francisco on Friday, winning three of four matches to take a handy lead over Team World with Carlos Alcaraz sparkling in doubles action.

  • Amorim remains defiant over Man Utd tactics

    Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim said not even the pope could make him deviate from playing with a back three despite mounting pressure following a dismal run, adding that abandoning his preferred formation would undermine him in his players' eyes.

Blogs