Chelsea complete British record Moises Caicedo deal to form record midfield partnership
After a long drawn out transfer saga, Chelsea finally have their man in Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Moises Caicedo.
The two time Champions League winners are set to part with an initial £115m (+ add-ons) consequently smashing Declan Rice’s fee (£105m) West Ham earned from Arsenal only set last month and the £106.8m they paid for his midfield partner Enzo Fernandez in January.
Caicedo has been chased by the Blues all summer, but they looked set to miss out on their top target after Brighton agreed a deal with Liverpool just days ago. However, after the midfielder revealed that Stamford Bridge was his preferred (and only) destination if he was to leave the Seagulls, Chelsea returned with a much improved offer that was then accepted by Tony Bloom and his board.
After signing an eight year deal with the club and becoming the most expensive player in British football history, Caicedo finally has his wish and can’t wait to get started.
“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.” he said.
While Co-sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley has this to say about their most recent signing:
“Moises has proved himself as a standout player in European football over the past 18 months, and we are thrilled to add him to Mauricio Pochettino’s squad. “Moises 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.”
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Caicedo joined Brighton from boyhood club Independiente del Valle for £4m in February 2021 before making his Premier League debut a year later. The native of Santo Domingo though requested to leave earlier this year. Arsenal then had multiple offers turned down for his services before the defensive midfielder penned a new deal with the Seagulls until 2027 in March.
As touched upon, he’s been heavily linked with Chelsea for a while now and despite Brighton brushing off a succession of bids from Stamford Bridge earlier in the summer, the two clubs have finally come to an agreement and the Ecuadorian will play in West London this season.
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After already splashing £106.8m on Enzo Fernandez in January, Mauricio Pochettino now has the two most expensive signings in British football history as his midfield pivot. The Argentinian excelled in a deeper role against Liverpool on the opening day of the season, being named MOTM by Sky Sports after finishing the game with a 90% pass accuracy, 100% take-on success and making more final third passes (17) and more passes into the box (10) than any other player on the pitch.
The two most expensive signings in British football history are midfield partners:
◎ January 2023: Chelsea sign Enzo Fernández for £106.8m, a British-record fee
◉ August 2023: Chelsea sign Moisés Caicedo for £115m, a British-record feeBoth under 23 years old. 👥 pic.twitter.com/GLg1QGzwnC
— Squawka (@Squawka) August 14, 2023
Now with the addition of Moises Caicedo, the Blues have the perfect midfield pairing that compliment each other perfectly and should be a force once again in 2023/24.
