PREMIER LEAGUE
Moisés Caicedo transfer bid accepted: what is the British transfer record?
Liverpool have struck a deal for the Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder, who had also received a number of bids from Premier League rivals Chelsea.
One of the most protracted transfer sagas of the summer appears to be drawing to a close after Brighton & Hove Albion accepted a bid from Liverpool for Moisés Caicedo.
The 21-year-old midfielder had been the subject of a number of bids from Chelsea in recent weeks but Brighton had refused to budge on their £100 million asking price.
Sky Sports reports that Chelsea did eventually reach the nine-figure asking price but Liverpool usurped them with a late offer of £111 million ($141m), which would constitute a British transfer record signing.
Caicedo has already agreed personal terms with Jurgen Klopp’s side and he is due to complete a medical on Friday.
How much is the British transfer record?
The young Ecuadorian impressed in a Brighton team who massively overperformed in 2022/23, securing European qualification for the first time in the club’s history.
However Caicedo, still only 21, has played fewer than 100 club games in his career and is yet to reach the 50-match mark in the Premier League. Yet despite that inexperience Liverpool are not only willing to make him their record signing but also to break the British transfer record to secure his services.
Before the £111 million Caicedo deal is officially announced, here are the most expensive signings ever made by British clubs:
1. Enzo Fernández (Benfica to Chelsea, 2023) - £106.8 million ($135m)
2. Declan Rice (West Ham United to Arsenal, 2023) - £105 million ($133m)
3. Jack Grealish (Aston Villa to Manchester City, 2021) - £100 million ($127m)
4. Romelu Lukaku (Inter to Chelsea, 2021) - £97.5 million ($124m)
5. Romelu Lukaku (Everton to Manchester United, 2017) - £89 million ($113m)
Caicedo now looks set to usurp Chelsea’s Fernández at the top of the rankings, meaning that Liverpool will hold the British record for both transfer fee paid and transfer fee received.
In 2018 they sold midfielder Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona for a fee potentially rising to £142 million ($180m). However the Brazilian’s time at Camp Nou was deeply underwhelming and he left on a permanent transfer last year, joining Aston Villa for just £20 million.
The Caicedo deal brings Liverpool’s transfers spending this summer to more than £200 million as the Reds look to rebuild their midfield. In addition to the incoming Ecuadorian, Liverpool has signed Dominik Szoboszlai for £60 million ($76m) and Caicedo’s former Liverpool teammate Alexis Mac Allister for £35 million ($44m).