Brighton and Hove Albion have completed the transfer deadline day signing of international midfielder Moises Caicedo from the Ecuadorian top-flight side Independiente del Valle.
Caicedo, who turned 19 in November, has joined Brighton on a four-and-a-half-year deal for £4.5 million.
Albion said that the Ecuador international has signed a contract that runs to June 2025, subject to international clearance.
And he arrives having won the 2020 Under-20 Copa Libertadores as well as making his senior debut for Ecuador in October.
Head coach Graham Potter said: “It’s no secret we have been working to bring Moises to the club and we are very pleased he is finally here.
“He will need time to settle in with the group, for us to get to know him and vice versa, as well as get up to speed and ready for the demands of the Premier League.
“He has done very well in Ecuador and made his debut for his country aged just 18. He’s an exciting signing but it is important we give him time to adjust.”
Technical director Dan Ashworth said: “Moises has had a lot of interest from clubs across Europe which is understandable given how well he has done.
“He’s been one the recruitment team has been aware of for some time and we are confident he is a player with a very exciting future ahead.
“It has been a complicated transfer, due to the current restrictions, and there has been a lot of hard work across several of the club’s departments to get the transfer completed.
“Moises is still a young player, moving away from his country for the first time, so we allow him the time he needs to adjust and adapt.”
Caicedo came through the youth ranks at Independiente del Valle before making his first appearance for the club in October 2019.
A year later he made his first senior appearance for his country in a 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification tie which opponents Argentina won 1-0.
Just four days later he scored his first international goal in a 4-2 win over Uruguay and now has four caps to his name.
