Manuel Sierra - the agent of Moises Caicedo - has revealed the details of how the player opted to sign for Chelsea over Liverpool in the summer.
Throughout the most recent transfer window, Brighton & Hove Albion were allegedly adamant that it would take a £100m proposal to part ways with one of their star men.
Instead, Chelsea took the approach of trying to negotiate a smaller fee, prolonging a saga that began in January when the Blues and Arsenal had initially expressed an interest.
Liverpool caught all parties by surprise with an offer of over Brighton's alleged asking price, with that being accepted and Caicedo being given permission to hold talks and undergo a medical.
However, Chelsea reacted within hours of that bid being sent to the Seagulls, delivering an improved proposal and swiftly finalising the deal with their Brighton counterparts.
© Chelsea FC
Speaking to Ecuadorian channel Football sin Cassette, Sierra has now explained how Caicedo reached the decision to move to Stamford Bridge over Anfield, acknowledging that Chelsea's persistence and long-term interest proved decisive.
Sierra said: "What happened is that in January [Chelsea] couldn't pay. They couldn't go crazy because they had to go with one or the other, they couldn't sign both [Enzo Fernandez and Caicedo] and I didn't know what Brighton were going to ask for. Brighton were not going to sell even for £1bn.
"The issue of not going to Liverpool instead of Chelsea was also questioned a lot. The offers were similar in every way, the issue was a question of values, principles and of giving the floor to someone.
"When Liverpool's offer arrived, Brighton were asked for time so that Chelsea could match it, they did, they surpassed it and he ended up at Chelsea because he had given his word to Chelsea for quite some time.
"Liverpool were always interested. We had meetings between January and May but since May we didn't hear from them. Of course we were surprised that suddenly they appeared with [an offer] that they had said they couldn't do.
© Reuters
"The first thing we were told was, 'Tomorrow you have to go to Liverpool to have a medical'. Of course, what is our reaction going to be if we have not negotiated, we have not spoken, we have not seen anything since May? Our phone conversations were clear at all times, we were clear, as long as Chelsea offered the same conditions that Liverpool could. As I say they surpassed it, so there was no complaint.
"It is very complicated, imagine that Jurgen Klopp is writing to you, that Liverpool are calling you, we are talking about something very big, one of the best teams in the world just like Chelsea - and with a more established and more stabilised project than what Chelsea have today.
"When Liverpool came and approached in that way, obviously Moises got dizzy, I got dizzy myself, but Chelsea were by our side at all times asking us to go, they wanted an hour to tell Brighton that they could match the offer. They gave them an hour and it ended after two days of negotiation."
The 21-year-old, whose £115m fee was the biggest in British transfer history, has made five starts and two substitute outings for Chelsea since his arrival in August.
Darren Plant
