Chelsea have completed the signing of Moises Caicedo from Brighton for an initial £100million, possibly rising to £115m after add-ons.
A deal for the midfielder was finally agreed late on Sunday night after a lengthy saga that saw Brighton knock back three bids for the 21-year-old.
He underwent a medical and agreed personal terms on Monday and has signed an eight-year contract with the club.
Caicedo said: “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.”
It is understood that roughly half of the add-ons included in the deal are easily achievable whilst the rest will be more difficult for Brighton to activate, though it is likely the fee will eventually rise to become a British record, surpassing the £105m they Blues paid Benfica for Enzo Fernandez.
They first tried to buy Caicedo during the January transfer window but Brighton were insistent he was not for sale and, after initially stating a desire to leave, he was persuaded to sign a new contract in March until 2027.
During the current window Chelsea had previously only been willing to go as high as £80m, a figure well short of Brighton owner Tony Bloom’s valuation, before finally agreeing to meet Brighton’s requirements for a deal on Sunday.
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