Chelsea complete signing of Moises Caicedo

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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. </p>

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He underwent a medical and agreed personal terms on Monday and has signed an eight-year contract with the club. </p>

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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. </p>

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"It's a dream come true to be here and I can't wait to get started with the team." </p>

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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. </p>

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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. </p>

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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. </p>

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Reports also claim that Chelsea have won the race to sign Romeo Lavia from Southampton after the midfielder picked Stamford Bridge over a move to Liverpool </p>

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Though a fee is yet to be agreed, the 19-year-old has indicated his desire to join Mauricio Pochettino's side and negotiations will now take place over personal terms, with the deal likely to be worth in excess of £50million. </p>

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It is the second time in less than 24 hours that the club have beaten Liverpool to a key transfer target following Caicedo's capture. </p>

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Belgium international Lavia has played just 29 Premier League games since joining Southampton from Manchester City last summer but was a standout performer last season despite Saints' relegation to the Championship. </p>

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Liverpool had reportedly agreed a deal worth £60m to sign Lavia as Klopp looks to reinforce his midfield following a clutch of departures, but look set to miss out again in an echo of their failure to lure Caicedo, for whom a £111m fee had been agreed before Chelsea stepped in. </p>

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The club are understood to be confident that they are not paying over the odds for the Ecuadorian despite him only having played 45 times in the Premier League. </p>

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He is likely to make his debut alongside Fernandez in midfield when Chelsea play West Ham at the London Stadium on Saturday. </p>

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