[OSEN=고성환 기자] Chelsea have completed their dream signing of Moises Caicedo (22). He is now the most expensive player in Premier League (PL) history.
Chelsea said on the club website on the 15th (Korean time): “We are delighted to announce the signing of Ecuadorian international Caicedo. There is also an option for a one-year extension.”
It is a new record for the highest transfer fee in PL history. According to ‘The Athletic’, Chelsea paid 115 million pounds (approximately 194.4 billion won) including options to sign Caicedo. In addition, it is known that there is even a cell-on clause to pay a certain percentage of the transfer fee to Brighton when transferring to another team later.
This is an amount that surpasses the PL record of £107m (approximately 180.9 billion won) recorded by Chelsea last winter when they signed Enso Fernandes. As a result, Chelsea will have a midfielder with the Caicedo-Enso combination, which ranks first and second in transfer fees in PL history.
Caicedo is one of the best hexagonal midfielders in the Premier League. He joined Brighton in February 2021 and began earning his starting position in earnest from the second half of the 2021-2022 season. Caicedo quickly established himself as a key player, boasting his vigorous activity and versatility in offense and defense.
Caicedo played 43 games for Brighton last season and played a big role in Brighton’s best ever Premier League finish (sixth). He won both the club’s official Player of the Year and the Players’ Player of the Year.
The big clubs couldn’t let him go. Premier League clubs such as Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool showed interest in him. Caicedo, in particular, tried unsuccessfully to transfer to Arsenal, saying goodbye to Brighton fans through social media in January and not attending training.
The team that blossomed this summer was Chelsea. Caicedo once again refused to participate in training, meeting with the club’s executives and requesting a transfer to Chelsea. In an interview with the Ecuadorian media, Caicedo even made a surprise remark, saying, “Chelsea is a big club. I can’t refuse.”
Both Chelsea and Kaise went all-in on signing. Chelsea released Jorginho last winter, and this summer, Mateo Kovacic, N’Golo Kante, Mason Mount and Ruben Loftuschik have all left. Recruiting a central midfielder was a must, not an option.
However, Liverpool, which needed reinforcements in the midfield, also wanted Caicedo, and it emerged as a big variable. In fact, Liverpool bet 110 million pounds (approximately 185.9 billion won) to beat Chelsea and take the lead before signing. However, Chelsea became the final winner as they offered an additional 5 million pounds (approximately 8.4 billion won).
After his dream came true, Caicedo said: “I am very happy to join Chelsea. I am very excited to come to such a big club. When Chelsea called me I didn’t have to think twice. It has come true. I want to start my Chelsea career as soon as possible.”
Chelsea sports directors Lawrence Stewart and Paul Winstonley also said: “Caicedo has proven himself on the European stage over the past 18 months. He is the player we have been looking for and we believe that Caicedo will make an important impact at Stamford Bridge for years to come.”
[사진] Chelsea Social Media, ⓒGettyimages (Unauthorized reproduction and redistribution prohibited)
Seonghwan Ko ([email protected])
2023-08-14 19:45:09
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