It was a football transfer saga of almost biblical proportions, but as the dust settled on the British record £115 million fee for Moises Caicedo, the player gave the glory to God.
The Ecuadorian international midfielder, pictured above, had been the subject of a signing battle between two of the English game’s elite.
Liverpool and Chelsea went head to head in the summer transfer window to prise the 21-year-old from fellow Premier League outfit Brighton.
The bidding started in the mere £70 million bracket, when Arsenal tried to sign Caicedo in the January window.
His price had risen considerably when the summer transfers opened, with Liverpool and Chelsea offering £80 million.
But in the Monopoly-money world of football, they were just warming up.
The offers kept rising in the weeks that followed, until Liverpool went public when they thought they’d won the bidding war with £110 million.
A grinning Jurgen Klopp, Liverpool’s manager, faced the TV cameras announcing the likelihood of the deal, having apparently snatched Caicedo from signing favourites Chelsea.
But the Blues weren’t finished, and a base offer of £100 million plus ‘add-ons’, taking the full deal to a potential £115 million, was agreed.
What’s that got to do with God? Plenty, according to Caicedo, who credits the Almighty with the realisation of his dream to play in England.
As he signed his new deal at Stamford Bridge, Caicedo posted on Instagram: “A day to remember. God is faithful and fulfills your dreams. No words needed.”
The player’s Instagram bio already refers to the Bible verse Joshua 1:9, which states: “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
The verse helped him remain calm during the transfer uncertainty.
“I don’t get carried away by emotions,” Caicedo said in an interview with 90min. “I’m enjoying time with my family for now. There is pressure, but I am calm. I am waiting for whatever God decides. He will know what is best for me.”
Caicedo also relied on his faith after rupturing knee ligaments while playing for Independiente, injuring him for 10 months.
“Sometimes I cried,” he said in a radio interview, via The Athletic. “Nobody knew. I would go to my room and just start crying out of frustration, out of sadness. But I didn’t stop believing. I trusted in God and prayed a lot.”
