CHELSEA SIGN MIDFIELDER MOISES CAICEDO FOR £115 MILLION BRITISH RECORD FEE, ROMEO LAVIA DEAL IS CLOSE
Chelsea Football Club have signed midfielder Moisés Caicedo from Brighton and Hove Albion, the club announced on Monday.
The transfer is worth a reported British record fee worth up to £115 million, making Caicedo the most expensive signing in Premier League history. The deal includes a fixed £100 million fee with the remaining £15 million included in performance-related add-ons. As per Sky Sports, half of the add-ons in the deal are considered “easily achievable” while the other half are thought to be “much harder” to reach.
Caicedo signs on an eight-year contract that will keep him in West London through June 30th, 2031, with an option for a further year. Brighton and Hove Albion also have a significant sell-on clause if Chelsea decide to move the young midfielder.
Caicedo completed his medical on Monday afternoon after beginning at 9am BST, as per transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano. The new Chelsea man was also greatly admired by Liverpool who had struck a £111 million agreement with Brighton late Thursday night only for the 21-year-old to inform them that he only wanted to join the London club.
Chelsea co-sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley remarked “Moisés possesses a rare midfield skill set and is a player we’ve been targeting for some time. We believe he will make a significant impact at Stamford Bridge this season – and in the years ahead.”
Caicedo said upon signing with the club, “I am so happy to join Chelsea! I am so excited to be here at this big club and I didn’t have to think twice when Chelsea called me, I just knew I wanted to sign for the club. It’s a dream come true to be here and I can’t wait to get started with the team.”
The Santa Domingo-born midfielder is the 10th signing of the summer for Chelsea after Christopher Nkunku (£52 million), Axel Disasi (£38.8 million), Nicolas Jackson (£32 million), Robert Sanchez (£25 million), Lesly Ugochukwu (£23.1 million), Angelo Gabriel (£15 million), Ishe Samuels-Smith (£4 million), Diego Moreira (free), and Alex Matos (free). Chelsea currently lead all Premier League teams in transfer spending this summer with a whopping £304.9 million total spent.
Chelsea are also pushing to sign Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia with an agreement between both clubs reported to be close. The deal is independent of the Caicedo signing and Chelsea are intent on adding the 23-year-old midfielder to the squad before their second game of the season against West Ham. According to Sky Sports, personal terms between Lavia and Chelsea aren’t expected to be a problem and both parties are waiting on an agreement with Southampton.
Liverpool also held talks with Southampton for Lavia during the weekend and both clubs came to a £60 million agreement, but the Brussels-born midfielder told Southampton he only intends on signing for Chelsea. As per The Athletic’s David Ornstein, Chelsea are prepared to pay a transfer total fee of £50 million including add-ons and want the deal done, signed and delivered by Tuesday.
The former Manchester City man had piqued Chelsea’s interest last summer but a last-minute bid by the blues on Deadline Day fell through after Southampton rejected a £50 million proposal. Lavia joined the Saints in July 2022 for a small fee of £12 million including add-ons.
Manchester City held a £40 million buyback clause for the Belgian but the clause was only valid from 2024 and if Lavia was still under contract at Southampton. The defending champions will thus be unable to use the buyback clause this summer or next year. City will however, get more than £10 million due to a sell-on clause they had in the deal with Brighton.
Both Caicedo and Lavia deals could end in a total £165 million package, a huge reason why the Blues didn’t continue pursuing Leeds midfielder Tyler Adams. Talks between Chelsea and Leeds broke down last week after both parties were unable to reach an agreement.
-Maher Abucheri
Twitter: @pabloikonyero
Photo: James Boyes. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.