Chelsea are on the verge of completing a British record £115million swoop for Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo.
Following weeks of discussions and failed bids, the Blues have agreed a fee for the Ecuador midfielder that will see Brighton earn a minimum £100m plus a further £15m in add-ons.
It is hoped that the 21-year-old can undergo a medical in the next 48 hours before signing a long-term contract with the Stamford Bridge side.
Caicedo appeared to be close to joining Liverpool last week after the Reds saw a £111m bid accepted by Brighton.
But Chelsea owner Behdad Eghbali has taken control of the deal and has struck an agreement during direct talks with Brighton owner Tony Bloom.
Moises Caicedo is joining Chelsea from Brighton for a British record £115m, with sell-on clause
Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino is set to land a key target following months of uncertainty
Around half of the £15m add-ons are said to be easily achievable, while the remainder are believed to be significantly harder to meet.
With that in mind Chelsea believe they will end up paying a similar fee that they forked out for Enzo Fernandez, who joined from Benfica in January for £107m – the current British record.
It represents excellent business for Brighton, who bought Caicedo for a bargain £4.5m from Independiente del Valle in 2021.
Chelsea are also offering around £55m for Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia, who has also been the subject of three failed bids from Liverpool.
Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi made a slight dig about Caicedo’s departure on Friday
Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi made a slight dig about Caicedo to reporters during Friday’s press conference ahead of the Premier League game against Luton.
De Zerbi said: ‘I have already forgotten about Moises. I’m really proud of the players we have in the squad.
‘We want to keep improving. The credit goes to the club. Bigger clubs can buy our players but they can’t buy our soul or spirit.’
Caicedo impressed with the Seagulls, making 37 appearances for the club last season as they finished sixth in the top flight and qualified for the Europa League.
