Chelsea have agreed a British-record transfer fee with Brighton for midfielder Moises Caicedo.
The fee, according to BBC, is worth £115m.
The midfielder will sign an eight-year contract, with the option of a further year.
Brighton will have a sell-on clause that has been described as “significant” as part of the deal.
Liverpool had agreed a £111m deal for the 21-year-old Ecuador player on Friday.
But Caicedo’s preference is Chelsea and they have finally succeeded with a bid after having a succession of proposals rejected by Brighton this summer.
The fee means Chelsea will break the British record twice in 2023, following the £107m purchase in January of Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez.
Caicedo, who was left out of Brighton’s squad for their season-opening win at home to Luton Town, is still to have a medical.
Sky Sports reported that the star midfielder has been granted permission by Brighton to have a Chelsea medical, which is expected to take place on Monday.
The Blues would pay an initial £100m, plus £15m in performance-related add-ons, the report said.
Brighton had set a fee in excess of £100m for Caicedo this summer and said they felt no-one would reach it. Chelsea are believed to have bid £80m previously.
In February 2021, Caicedo joined Brighton from Ecuadorian side Independiente del Valle for £4m, with a 20% sell-on clause included in the deal.
He did not make his Premier League debut until April 2022.
He asked to leave Brighton in the January transfer window earlier this year.
