Chelsea end Moises Caicedo transfer saga by signing Brighton midfielder for initial £100m

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 Chelsea have won the race to sign Romeo Lavia from Southampton after the midfielder picked Stamford Bridge over a move to Liverpool. 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. 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. 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. 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. Read More How does Moises Caicedo’s Chelsea transfer compare to previous big-money deals? Last season is a long time ago – Mauricio Pochettino looks forward with Chelsea Key talking points as the new Premier League season gets under way