Chelsea have reportedly reached a full agreement to sign Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Moises Caicedo for a British-record fee of £115m.
The Blues have gone head-to-head with Liverpool for the signature of the Ecuador international and initially appeared to have conceded defeat to the Reds, who had a £110m offer accepted on Thursday night.
Chelsea had already seen offers of up to £100m rejected by the Seagulls, but Liverpool were left stunned after being told that Caicedo only wanted to join Mauricio Pochettino's side this summer.
As a result, the Blues reignited their bid to sign the former Independiente del Valle youngster, and according to Fabrizio Romano, a £115m deal is now in place.
Caicedo is expected to undergo his Chelsea medical on Monday and sign an eight-year contract at Stamford Bridge, with the option to extend his stay until the summer of 2032.
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The 21-year-old will officially become the most expensive player in British football history with his nine-figure move, overtaking Enzo Fernandez's £106m switch from Benfica to Chelsea in January.
The £115m deal will also set a new record for the highest transfer fee between two British clubs, which was only broken a few weeks ago by Declan Rice's £105m transfer from West Ham United to Arsenal.
Caicedo was on the radar of Manchester United during his time with Independiente del Valle, but the Red Devils ultimately decided against a deal, allowing Brighton to secure his services for a mere £4.3m.
The Ecuadorian lynchpin has since scored two goals and set up three more in 53 matches for Roberto De Zerbi's side, helping the Seagulls qualify for the Europa League for the first time in the 2022-23 season.
Caicedo memorably tried to engineer an exit from the Amex in January, when Arsenal fought tooth and nail to bring him to the Emirates, as he released a bombshell statement on social media announcing his desire to leave.
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Brighton blocked any departure for the 21-year-old, though, and they subsequently agreed a renewal with Caicedo until 2027 with the option of a further year in order to protect his value.
Following Caicedo's medical on Monday, the midfielder will become the Blues' eighth signing of the summer after Christopher Nkunku, Robert Sanchez, Axel Disasi, Nicolas Jackson, Lesley Ugochukwu, Diego Moreira and Angelo Gabriel.
The Blues are also expected to beat Liverpool to the signing of Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia, although the Reds have supposedly shown a willingness to meet the Blues' £55m bid for the 19-year-old.
A move for Leeds United's Tyler Adams was mooted before the Caicedo agreement, but the American - who has a £20m relegation clause in his Whites deal - is no longer expected to complete a switch to Stamford Bridge.
The Pochettino era at Chelsea began with a 1-1 draw against Liverpool on Sunday, and the Blues now prepare to travel to West Ham United for a London derby next weekend, where Caicedo could make his first appearance for the capital giants.
Ben Knapton
