Moises Caicedo is set to become Britain's most expensive footballer in a £111m move to Chelsea or Liverpool after an incredible rise from poverty in Ecuador to the Premier League - with his childhood sweetheart by his side
- Liverpool HIJACK Chelsea's move for Caicedo and agree £111M record transfer
- When must signings be registered by Premier League clubs for this weekend?
- TRANSFER NEWS LIVE: Follow the day's biggest and latest news on Mail Sport
- Click here to watch Mail Sport's brand new show 'It's All Kicking Off' in full
As day broke on Friday morning, and the dust settled after a nail-biting midnight auction, it seemed the deal was done: Moises Caicedo would sign for Liverpool, to the tune of a mammoth £111million.
The Brighton midfielder has attracted attention throughout the transfer window, with Chelsea long the likely frontrunners for the talented 21-year-old's signature.
But a lingering question-mark remains over the player's future, with the Blues looking in a stronger position than ever after Caicedo is said to have second thoughts over joining the Reds.
One thing is for sure. If either club signs an agreement with the player for that stratospheric sum, the Ecuadorian starlet becomes the sixth-most expensive player in history.
But where did the now-British record signing come from? And who are the important figures in his life? Here, Mail Sport shares details on the rise and rise of Moises Caicedo.
![Moises Caicedo will become the sixth-most expensive player of all time when he signs for Liverpool after a fierce bidding war](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/08/11/10/74205037-0-image-a-1_1691744858134.jpg)
Moises Caicedo will become the sixth-most expensive player of all time when he signs for Liverpool after a fierce bidding war
![The midfielder's meteoric rise has come with the support of his girlfriend Paola Salazar](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/08/11/10/74205427-0-image-a-8_1691744946556.jpg)
![The midfielder's meteoric rise has come with the support of his parents (pictured in Brighton)](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/08/11/10/74205409-0-image-m-7_1691744938147.jpg)
The midfielder's meteoric rise has come with the support of his girlfriend Paola Salazar (left) and his parents (pictured in Brighton)
![The £111million player has a close and emotive relationship with his family (pictured in 2017)](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/08/11/10/74205411-0-image-a-9_1691744992388.jpg)
The £111million player has a close and emotive relationship with his family (pictured in 2017)
A hardscrabble childhood - and a prodigal rise
Caicedo hails from the Mujer Trabadora district in Santo Domingo, a bustling city nestled in the foothills of the Andes, where he first started playing at the age of five. Resources were hard to come by in the neighbourhood, which still struggles with gang trouble and is home to a number of families living below the poverty line. As per the Times, Caicedo and his team-mates would often score through goals marked out by rocks or other makeweights, and not all of the children would always have shoes.
But at 13, the player made the step up, joining a local academy affiliated with an amateur team called Jaipadida. Professional football came calling in the form of an offer from Espoli, but that fell through after the side were relegated from - and a number of Caicedo's trials with other teams were unsuccessful before he was sent to Independiente del Valle.
Caicedo's rise in the capital city, Quito, where Independiente is based, was far from meteoric. A few months into his time at the club, he suffered a ruptured ACL, which sidelined him for 10 months at the age of 16. But as he recovered, his form grew stronger and stronger, and less than two years later, he made his senior team debut.
Still playing for the club's youth team, he won the Under-20 Copa Libertadores with the side in 2020, another in a string of bright spots which first caught the eye of Brighton's scouts. His team-mates called him 'the Octopus' for his dazzling abilities swiping the ball from his opponents, and Caicedo himself - a childhood Man United fan - compared his style to Paul Pogba.
![The player joined Independiente del Valle's academy in 2016 and later featured for both their youth side - with whom he won the U20 Copa Libertadores - and senior team](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/08/11/10/74205313-0-image-a-10_1691745028603.jpg)
The player joined Independiente del Valle's academy in 2016 and later featured for both their youth side - with whom he won the U20 Copa Libertadores - and senior team
![Caicedo featured in a barnstorming Copa Libertadores against Brazilian side Flamengo in 2020, scoring one of their five goals](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/08/11/10/74205051-0-image-a-11_1691745045471.jpg)
Caicedo featured in a barnstorming Copa Libertadores against Brazilian side Flamengo in 2020, scoring one of their five goals
![That year, the then-18 year old received his first call-up for the Ecuadorian national team](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/08/11/10/74205045-0-image-a-12_1691745050057.jpg)
That year, the then-18 year old received his first call-up for the Ecuadorian national team
Paying back the communities that raised him
Brighton weren't the only club in pursuit of the player's signature, but in signing him in 2021, the club won themselves a rare talent. After an initial season-long loan to Belgium top-flight side Beerschot, Caicedo flourished at the south coast club with the appointment of De Zerbi - but even signing a new bumper contract in February couldn't put the breaks on Caicedo's limitless ambition.
But with his landmark move to Liverpool comes an enormous windfall for not one, but two clubs: Brighton, who signed the midfielder for a comparatively paltry £4.5m, and Independiente.
The Ecuadorian club kept 20 per cent of his training rights, and is set to receive an upwards of £20m on confirmation of his signing. Michel Deller, the club's owner, told radio show La Red: 'We want to invest in a high-performance center in Santo Domingo, which will bear the name of Moisés Caicedo, that money is important, and it will be used for our boys'.
El Niño Moi
The youngest of ten siblings, Caicedo was - and remains - extremely close to his family. When he first made the move to Independiente in the capital, he was reportedly wracked with homesicknesses, which some coaches thought might stymie his development.
One of his former youth coaches at Independiente, Miguel Angel Ramirez, told Sky Sports about an incident where Caicedo - who was particularly quiet and shy upon arrival at his first club - was unable to hid his emotions when denied the opportunity to see his family.
![Caicedo has a particularly close relationship with his mother Carmen, and cherishes his roots in Santo Domingo's Mujures Trabadora neighbourhood](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/08/11/10/74205423-0-image-a-13_1691745072753.jpg)
Caicedo has a particularly close relationship with his mother Carmen, and cherishes his roots in Santo Domingo's Mujures Trabadora neighbourhood
![The player frequently hosts his family in the UK](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/08/11/10/74205419-0-image-m-17_1691745093934.jpg)
![The player regularly visits Ecuador](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/08/11/10/74205421-0-image-a-18_1691745105281.jpg)
The player frequently hosts his family in the UK (pictured left) as well as visiting Ecuador often
'One day, in a period when he was injured, he requested permission to go home and celebrate his birthday,' Ramirez said
'I declined and said, "Moises, you are injured. You have to recover and you have to get back as soon as possible. There are no off days for professional players. You have to understand that, now, you are not in the academy anymore. When you get out to a big club, you cannot request to your club, can I please have an off day to celebrate my birthday with my family? Because they will not give it to you!"
Ramirez recalls that the player was 'crying like a baby' as he continued to train in the gym.
Caicedo's parents urged their son to stand firm, and continue to support him intently. And he, in turn, is equally motivated by them - his first post on Instagram is a picture of the midfielder, his father, and his mother, and the caption: 'Parents, you will one day be proud of me, I promise'.
The player frequently flies his family - particularly his mother, Carmen - to England to keep in close contact with them, and travels back to Santo Domingo. Caicedo's roots to his home city are strong: he has bought his family a new house, regularly visits, and reportedly he is looking to invest in the football facilities, and has given his name to the school.
On a recent visit, he took part in a local tournament, this time turning out for Caicedo FC, a team made up of his extended family members. As expected, the player scored a goal - and helped clinch the tournament for the talented family.
![The 21-year-old first met his girlfriend Paola as a teenager whilst featuring for Independiente](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/08/11/10/74205417-0-image-a-19_1691745125452.jpg)
The 21-year-old first met his girlfriend Paola as a teenager whilst featuring for Independiente
![Little is known about Salazar, but she is likely to follow the player to Liverpool after his move](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/08/11/10/74205415-0-image-a-24_1691745159608.jpg)
Little is known about Salazar, but she is likely to follow the player to Liverpool after his move
![The couple recently rang in Salazar's 22nd birthday with a special meal, roses and champagne](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/08/11/10/74205851-0-image-a-26_1691745808193.jpg)
The couple recently rang in Salazar's 22nd birthday with a special meal, roses and champagne
Caicedo's closeness with his family - coupled with his prodigal rise - has led to the rise of the player's affectionate nickname in Ecuador, El Niño Moi, or 'The Kid Moi'.
Teenage sweethearts
But Caicedo won't be moving to pastures new alone. Instead, the midfielder will be accompanied by his girlfriend of five years, Paola Salazar.
The 22-year-old first met Caicedo as teenagers during the player's time at Independiente, with the pair first commemorating their relationship on the player's Instagram in the summer of 2019.
Little is known about Salazar, who keeps a low profile in the UK, but the couple celebrated her 22nd birthday together with champagne and red roses at an upscale London restaurant, and a trip to Harvey Nichols.
Most watched Sport videos
- Giants fans burn quarterback Daniel Jones' jersey after loss
- Montenegro fans create distraction from football with fireworks
- Las Vegas Raiders fan body slams a woman during brawl
- Awkward moment footy great can't pronounce NRL player's name
- Johnny Gaudreau's wife Meredith announces she is pregnant
- Moment Miami Dolphin's Tyreek Hill is arrested by police
- Jason Kelce bares all with ex-Eagles teammate in revealing beer ad
- Shocking bodycam of Tyreek Hill arrest released by Miami-Dade PD
- Woman exposes NRL boyfriend for leaving her for another
- Ireland fans mock Queen's death aiming chants at England fans
- John Hunt makes a poignant return to the commentary box at Brighton
- Tyreek Hill speeds by police before cops aggressively pull him over