Moises Caicedo to Chelsea: Blues sign midfielder from Brighton in record £115 million deal

Caicedo agreed to personal terms with Chelsea in May and completed his medical on Monday

The Moises Caicedo transfer saga is finally over. The midfielder officially joined Chelsea on Monday, ending a lengthy negotiation between the club and Brighton that escalated over the last week.

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Chelsea reportedly reached an agreement with Brighton to sign Caicedo late Sunday night, per Fabrizio Romano. The southern club pay an English record transfer fee of £115 million and sign the 21-year-old to an eight-year contract with an option for another year. The deal includes a sell-on clause for Brighton.

The player completed his medical by midday Monday, per The Athletic, which also reports that the deal includes £15 million in add-ons that seem to be "very achievable."

The two clubs have been going back and forth all summer over a fee for midfielder, but the transfer hit a roadblock when Brighton accepted a £110 million bid from Liverpool last week. Liverpool's move -- and Caicedo's preference for Chelsea -- seemed to spring the London club into action.

The midfielder is the latest addition to Chelsea's roster, which includes a handful of new summer signings that cost a pretty penny. The group includes attackers Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson, who reportedly went for £52 million and £32 million, respectively. He will partner with Enzo Fernandez in Chelsea's midfield who the Blues acquired last January in another nine-figure deal, paying over £105 million to Benfica.

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The deal was reportedly finalized Sunday sometime after Caicedo's two main suitors squared off in their opening match of the season, a 1-1 draw in which both teams struggled due to the lack of a defensive midfielder. Now, Chelsea will turn their attention to another midfielder, 19-year-old Romeo Lavia of Southampton, who, once again, both Chelsea and Liverpool are competing to sign.