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Chelsea sign Moises Caicedo for British-record fee of £115m

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Chelsea have confirmed the signing of Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo for a British-record fee of £115m on an eight-year contract.

The Blues said that the 21-year-old has agreed to an eight-year deal at Stamford Bridge, with an option for a ninth year.

It’s the second time in seven months that Chelsea has broken the British transfer record. In January, they spent £107 million on Enzo Fernandez, which was at the time the record.

After Brighton set a deadline for bids, Liverpool’s offer of £110 million was accepted on Friday.

But Caicedo turned down the chance to play for the Reds because he wanted to play for the Blues instead.

“I am so happy to join Chelsea!” Caicedo said in a club statement.

“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.”

Chelsea will reportedly pay £100 million up front, plus another £15 million in bonuses based on how well he does.

In 2021, Brighton paid just £4 million to get Caicedo from the Ecuadorian team Independiente del Valle. This deal is a huge profit for them again.

“Chelsea are getting one of the top midfielders in the world,” said Brighton’s technical director David Weir.

“Moises has been one of our exceptional players over the past 18 months.”

Since the takeover by LA Dodgers co-owner Todd Boehly and private equity group Clearlake Capital, Chelsea has spent close to £900 million on players in just three transfer windows.

But last season, they fell to 12th place in the Premier League, which was their worst finish since 1994.

Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Liverpool was a good start for the new manager, Mauricio Pochettino.