Chelsea Breaks Transfer Record with Signing of Moises Caicedo
By Lee Won-hee | August 15, 2023, 15:05
Chelsea midfielder Moises Caicedo, a 22-year-old Ecuadorian, has experienced a remarkable turnaround in his career. In just two years, he has gone from being a promising player to commanding the highest transfer fee in the English Premier League.
Chelsea announced on their official website on the 15th that they have signed Caicedo to an 8-year contract, with an option to extend for one more year. The exact transfer fee has not been disclosed, but according to UK’s The Guardian, Chelsea paid £115 million (approximately 195 billion won), making it the highest transfer fee in EPL history.
Previously, Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez held the title for the highest transfer fee in the EPL. However, Chelsea surpassed their own record by acquiring Caicedo for £106.8 million (about 180 billion won) just seven months after signing Fernandez. This means that Chelsea has spent over 370 billion won on transfer fees alone in less than a year.
The transfer fee for Caicedo ranks among the highest in football history, placing third overall. The current record is held by Neymar, who transferred from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain in 2017 for £192 million (approximately 326 billion won). Kylian Mbappe follows closely behind with a transfer fee of £128 million (about 217 billion won) when he moved from AS Monaco to PSG in the same year.
Caicedo’s journey to Chelsea is even more astonishing considering his humble beginnings. He moved from Independiente del Valle to Brighton in 2021 for a transfer fee of only £4.5 million (about 7.5 billion won). Within two years, his value has increased more than 25 times, culminating in him breaking the EPL’s highest transfer fee record.
Expressing his excitement, Caicedo said, “Joining Chelsea has fulfilled my dream, and I can’t wait to start.”
While there may be doubts surrounding Caicedo’s hefty price tag, his performance in the previous season speaks for itself. In 37 league games, he scored one goal and provided one assist. Despite primarily playing as a defensive midfielder, Caicedo impressed with his energetic activity, defensive prowess, and fierce spirit. He even received 10 yellow cards, showcasing his tenacity. With an average of 2.7 tackles per game, he ranked 7th in the league.
Caicedo also demonstrated excellent passing skills, often initiating team attacks. According to statistical media WhoScored.com, Caicedo received a season rating of 6.92.
Brighton’s impressive performance, with Caicedo as a key player, saw them finish 6th in the league and secure a spot in the Europa League. Additionally, they remained in contention for a top 4 finish, which guarantees qualification for the European Champions League. They outperformed teams such as Tottenham, Aston Villa, and Chelsea.
Due to his stellar performances, Caicedo received interest from various top clubs this summer, including Chelsea and Liverpool. Despite being close to joining Liverpool, Caicedo ultimately chose Chelsea. Liverpool had offered a transfer fee of £110 million (about 187 billion won), which Brighton accepted. However, Caicedo’s admiration for Chelsea’s key midfielder N’Golo Kante influenced his decision. Coincidentally, Kante left Chelsea for Saudi Arabia, creating a vacancy that Caicedo will now fill. This transfer saga has provided plenty of drama for football fans.
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Reporter Lee Won-hee | 2023.08.15 15:05
Moises Caicedo. /Photo = Official Chelsea SNS photo of Moises Caicedo. /Photo = Chelsea midfielder SNS Ecuadorian Moises Caicedo (22) achieved a life reversal. In two years, he went from being a promising player to the highest transfer fee in the English Premier League.
Chelsea said on its official website on the 15th (Korea time), “We have signed an 8-year contract with Caicedo. A 1-year extension option is included.” Caicedo, who played for Brighton & Hove Albion (England) until last season, wrote a new EPL transfer fee record with this transfer. The exact transfer fee has not been disclosed, but the UK’s The Guardian said, “Chelsea signed Caicedo for £115 million (about 195 billion won), the highest transfer fee in the EPL.”
Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez was originally responsible for the EPL’s highest transfer fee. Chelsea signed Fernandes for £106.8 million (about 180 billion won) in the transfer market last winter. After 7 months, I paid a higher price and brought Caisedo. In just half a year, they spent over 370 billion on transfer fees to recruit two players.
The transfer fee for Caicedo is one of the highest in world football history. This is the third largest transfer fee ever. In 2017, the ‘Brazilian star’ Neymar transferred from Barcelona (Spain) to Paris Saint-Germain (France, PSG) for a record transfer fee of 192 million pounds (about 326 billion won). In second place is Kylian Mbappe, who recorded a transfer fee of 128 million pounds (about 217 billion won) when he moved from AS Monaco (France) to PSG in 2017. Next came Kaicedo.
Caicedo moved to Brighton from Independiente del Valle (Ecuador) in 2021. At the time, Caicedo’s transfer fee was only 4.5 million pounds (about 7.5 billion won). However, in two years, the transfer fee was 115 million pounds, more than 25 times. It is also a bonus that he set the record for the highest transfer fee in the EPL.
“Coming to Chelsea has made my dream come true. I can’t wait to start with Chelsea,” said Caicedo.
Moises Caicedo in a Chelsea shirt. /Photo = Chelsea SNS Moises Caicedo (right). /Photo = Chelsea SNS It is true that there are question marks attached to Caicedo’s expensive ransom, but looking at last season alone, he performed at the top of the league. Caicedo scored 1 goal and 1 assist in 37 league games last season. He mainly played as a defensive midfielder and did not have many attacking points, but he protected the defense like an iron wall with his energetic activity and fighting spirit. He showed enough fighting spirit to receive 10 yellow cards. He finished 7th in the league with an average of 2.7 tackles per game.
He was also the starting point for a team attack with excellent passing ability. Statistical media WhoScored.com gave Caicedo a season rating of 6.92.
Moises Caicedo. /AFPBBNews=News1 Moises Caicedo (right) focuses on defense. /AFPBBNews = Thanks to News 1, Brighton overtook strong teams to finish 6th in the league and win a ticket to the Europa League. Until the end of the season, they were fighting for the top 4, where tickets to the European Champions League were at stake. Brighton were higher than Tottenham, Aston Villa and Chelsea.
In recognition of these performances, Caicedo received a number of love calls this summer. The representative clubs who wanted to sign him were Chelsea and Liverpool. Indeed, Caicedo looked close to joining Liverpool. Liverpool offered a transfer fee of 110 million pounds (about 187 billion won), which Brighton also accepted. However, Caicedo rejected the offer from Liverpool. Instead, he chose to go to Chelsea. Caicedo is known to have admired Chelsea’s key midfielder N’Golo Kante since childhood. Coincidentally, Kante moved to Saudi Arabia this summer, and Caicedo will fill the vacancy. This is the story of Kaisedo’s transfer, which created drama in many ways.
Moises Caicedo. /Photo = Official Chelsea SNS Moises Caicedo. /Photo = SNS Chelsea
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