Chelsea include 'secret clause' to help sign Moises Caicedo ahead of Liverpool

14 August 2023 , 17:10

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Moises Caicedo is expected to join Chelsea in a £115million deal (Image: Michael Regan/The FA)

Chelsea have beaten Liverpool to seal a record-breaking deal for Moises Caicedo after offering Brighton the opportunity to bank an additional £15million in achievable add-ons.

The Blues have been courting Caicedo for months and had already seen proposals rebuffed by the Seagulls in the current transfer window. It seemed as though Liverpool had stolen a march on their rivals in the race for the highly sought-after 21-year-old before the weekend, though, after submitting a huge £111m offer.

However, Caicedo has snubbed the opportunity to move to Anfield in order to complete a dream switch to Chelsea - and the Londoners have agreed to smash the current British transfer record to get their man.

According to CBS Sports, the terms of Chelsea's proposal have helped them pip their rivals to a deal. The Blues have agreed to pay a £100m fixed fee for Caicedo's services, but their willingness to include a clause which would enable Brighton to net a further £15m in achievable add-ons has enabled them to strike an agreement for the Ecuador international.

The deal - if it goes through - would eclipse the current British transfer record: the £105m deal for Enzo Fernandez which Chelsea wrapped up back in January.

Chelsea complete record-breaking Enzo Fernandez transfer after deadline day rush

Chelsea will have spent close to £1bn under Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital once the deal for Caicedo is concluded in the coming days, with Romeo Lavia also expected to snub Liverpool in order to join Mauricio Pochettino 's side. That transfer is understood to be worth a £50m fixed fee plus further add-ons.

Join the debate! Do you think Caicedo will be a good signing for Chelsea? Let us know here.

Chelsea are also set to beat Liverpool to a deal for Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia (Getty Images)

Pochettino took charge of the Blues for the first time on Sunday, where they drew 1-1 with Liverpool in their first league match of the new Premier League season.

The Londoners caught the eye in their first competitive match under Pochettino and the Chelsea head coach predicted there was plenty more to come from his side. He also touched on the need to improves the current Blues' squad, with more incomings and outgoings expected before the transfer window shuts on September 1.

Speaking after Sunday's match, Pochettino said on transfers: "We need good players, yes. We need to improve the squad, yes. But that is not new. We are working very hard, I am so happy in the way that we are working with Laurence [Stuart] and Paul [Winstanley] and the owners.

"For sure we are going to improve the squad. It is about finding the right profile, the right player to create a combination maybe where we are more solid."

Dan Marsh