Moises Caicedo is reportedly set to sign a long-term contract with Chelsea after a transfer fee of £115m was agreed with Brighton.
The midfielder’s pending transfer will break the British transfer record. This is currently held by the Blues after they signed Enzo Fernandez for £107m in January.
Everything pointed towards Caicedo signing for Liverpool after Jurgen Klopp’s side saw a £110m offer accepted for the 21-year-old on Friday.
However, in a dramatic twist, Caicedo refused to sign for the Reds as he wanted to honour his agreement with Chelsea. He agreed personal terms with the London club months ago.
The Ecuador international is now set to complete his switch to Stamford Bridge and will reportedly be in attendance for the Blues clash against (ironically) Liverpool on Sunday.
Caicedo will play a key role for Chelsea this season. Mauricio Pochettino has lost the services of N’Golo Kante, Mason Mount and Mateo Kovacic this summer.
The Brighton star will most likely become a consistent starter for Chelsea. That is no surprise, though, considering he is statistically one of the best defensive midfielders in the Premier League.
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Caicedo Chelsea contract details emerge
According to reputed transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano, Caicedo is set to pen an eight-year contract with Chelsea, with the option for a ninth.
Long-term deals like this one are something the Blues have done regularly since Todd Boehly arrived at the club, as it helps with FFP.
On Twitter, Romano wrote: “Understand the agreement between Moises Caicedo and Chelsea is for a contract valid until June 2031 …but the contract will also include an option until 2032, one more season.
“Caicedo agreed personal terms with Chelsea at the end of May. Clubs working to close the deal now.”
Caicedo appears set to be a key player for Chelsea for years to come. As mentioned, he has already showcased his abilities as a top defensive midfielder for Brighton.
One of Caicedo’s key strengths is his ability to regularly regain possession for Brighton before quickly launching an attack. Caicedo won the ball back for his side and instigated an attack that ended in a shot on 18 separate occasions last season. Only Rodri (19) managed this more often.
Overall, the youngster made 37 Premier League appearances for the Seagulls last season, scoring one goal and making one assist.
Pochettino will hope that a midfield pairing of Caicedo and Fernandez will help his team bounce back from a dismal 2022/23 campaign, which saw them finish 12th.
With that in mind, it will be interesting to see how the Ecuadorian performs for the Blues when he finally completes his move to Stamford Bridge. He is expected to be available for Chelsea’s game against West Ham next weekend.
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