Chelsea set British transfer record with Caicedo deal

Chelsea agreed to spend $146 million - a record in English football - to buy central midfielder Moises Caicedo from Brighton after being involved in a dispute with Liverpool.

Late on August 13, London time, Chelsea and Brighton completed negotiations, agreeing on Caicedo's total transfer fee of 146 million USD (115 million pounds).

The fee includes a fixed $127 million, and $19 million in add-ons, depending on the Ecuadorian midfielder's contribution to the new shirt. According to Sky Sports , half of the $19 million in add-ons will be "easily achieved", the other half is tied to more difficult terms.

Caicedo could be announced by Chelsea today, after the midfielder passed a medical. Photo: Sky Sports

According to British media, the personal terms between Caicedo and Chelsea were finalized long before that. The 21-year-old midfielder agreed to sign an eight-year contract with the Stamford Bridge team, with the option of a one-year extension.

With a total fee of 146 million for Caicedo, Chelsea set a second British transfer record in just eight months. In January 2023, they bought 2022 World Cup winner Enzo Fernandez from Benfica for 135.5 million USD - the highest fee in English football history at the time.

The British transfer record is calculated for deals where English clubs buy or sell players, not necessarily English. In between the Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez deals, Arsenal also set the record in July 2023 when they bought Delcan Rice from West Ham for $137 million.

Chelsea have been chasing Caidedo since the start of the summer, with new manager Mauricio Pochettino viewing the defensive midfielder as a key player in his plans to revive a side that had endured a turbulent year and finished 12th in the Premier League last season. But after several rounds of negotiations, they have been unable to agree on a price for Caidedo, with the latest bid of $101 million in early August being rejected by Brighton, who wanted $127 million.

On August 10, Liverpool suddenly jumped into the race for Caicedo, offering 139 million and Brighton immediately agreed. The deal was only waiting for Caicedo's nod to complete, but the Ecuadorian player moved to London to wait to join Chelsea and rejected the option of going to Liverpool.

Caicedo (orange shirt) disputes with Denis Zakaria in the match between Brighton and Chelsea in the Premier League last season. Photo: Reuters

On the afternoon of August 11, Caicedo and his support team remained in London, instead of going to Liverpool to discuss personal terms and undergo a medical. According to Sky Sports , the 21-year-old midfielder only wanted to join Chelsea as originally planned. Before that, Caicedo had cleared all his personal belongings in Brighton and reached a personal agreement with Chelsea.

To avoid the scenario of a long night of dreams and being snatched away, Chelsea had to spend a lot of money to buy Caicedo. After agreeing on a price with Brighton yesterday, Chelsea scheduled a medical examination for the Ecuadorian midfielder today, then signed a contract and introduced him as soon as possible.

Caicedo was the Premier League's top defensive midfielder last season, with the second-highest tackles and interceptions in the league. His other stats, including ball wins in midfield, touches and successful passes, were all in the top 10. Chelsea see the Ecuador international as a worthy successor to N'Golo Kante.

Nhat Tao

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