Chelsea’s pursuit of Moises Caicedo might be the club’s biggest transfer coup without considering the transfer fee. Chelsea has long identified Caicedo as the man to bring stability to the team that finished 12th under four managers last season. The Blues seemingly played without any real purpose last season despite having one of the most expensive squads in the league.
Chelsea’s summer business has been more about getting rid of fringe players than bringing in new faces, although Todd Boehly has been busy doing the latter in recent weeks. The club has parted ways with more than 12 known players, bringing in a few more faces to replace them, and the latest arrival is Moises Caicedo from Brighton.
Chelsea seals the deal for Brighton’s Caicedo
Many may not have expected this summer transfer window to be this interesting, but the last few weeks have been packed. This might be one of the most exciting transfer windows since the sale of Mikel Obi to United, then to Chelsea in the same window in 2005.
Chelsea had been negotiating with Brighton for weeks for the transfer of Moises Caicedo, but the English club has held out for a British record transfer fee for the Ecuadorian defensive midfielder.
More on Caicedo ✨🇪🇨
Chelsea late night bid for Moises was up to £100m package.
Liverpool bid is British record on £110m package — accepted by Brighton with immediate effect.
Brighton’s board was clear: player to be sold by end of Thursday to the highest bidder.
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 11, 2023
Liverpool swooped in and offered the Seagulls a record fee of £115 million, a bid swiftly accepted by Brighton. However, despite booking medical tests and preparing contracts, Caicedo informed Liverpool that he only wanted a move to Chelsea, prompting the London club to match Liverpool’s bid.
Chelsea have now reportedly reached an agreement with Brighton, with the transfer expected to be confirmed in the next few days or hours. The transfer fee should be the new British record, breaking the fee of £106 Chelsea paid for Enzo Fernandes in January.
BREAKING: Moisés Caicedo to Chelsea, here we go! Agreement reached and sealed right now — it’s gonna British record transfer fee 🚨🔵🇪🇨 #CFC
£115m fee plus sell-on clause included for Brighton.
Medical tests, booked.
Caicedo will sign until June 2031 with option until 2032. pic.twitter.com/7O8whsRLdK
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 13, 2023
Caicedo race dramatically turned in Chelsea’s favor this weekend
Liverpool’s bid for Caicedo broke the hearts of many Chelsea fans, leaving them to believe the Ecuadorian would end up at Liverpool after their club had been in the race for most of the transfer window. However, Caicedo’s heart was with Chelsea, and he did not hesitate to tell Liverpool that he would wait for Chelsea to match Brighton’s valuation.
While Chelsea and Liverpool played a 1-1 draw yesterday, the game was more about the underlying battle for Moises Caicedo, and a draw probably feels like a win for Chelsea, who won the race to sign the highly-rated defensive midfielder considered one of the Premier League’s best tacklers last season.
Will Liverpool continue their hunt for Romeo Lavia after Caicedo’s heartbreak? What do you think? Let’s talk in the comments.
