MOISES CAICEDO has revealed that Enzo Fernandez begged him to join Chelsea in the summer.
The midfielder was the subject of a transfer tug-of-war between a number of Prem clubs.
Manchester United and Arsenal were credited with interest before Liverpool had a £111million bid accepted by Brighton.
Boss Jurgen Klopp confirmed that a deal had been agreed, only to be left with egg on his face when Caicedo rejected the Reds because he was hellbent on joining Chelsea.
The Blues eventually thrashed out a British-record £115m swoop for Caicedo, thanks to a helping hand from their previous record signing.
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Speaking to Chelsea's official website, Fernandez revealed: "I called and told him that he had to accept and come because Chelsea is a great and ambitious club.
"And I have to thank God for giving me the chance to play alongside him at Chelsea because we all know the great player he is, but he is also a fantastic person, so I’m thankful he chose Chelsea."
The Blues signed Argentine World Cup hero Fernandez in a £107m deal back in January.
On his conversation with Fernandez, Caicedo admitted: "It was a nice chat.
"I mean, the fact that a world champion was phoning you, one of the best midfielders in the world… receiving that call was very nice and he convinced me to come here.
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"He said it was a great club, that there are many young players, there was a togetherness here.
"I have always enjoyed the bond in a team because I think that, if there is that bond, we can deal with any situation we may face: pressure, everything. So, that’s what motivated me to come here.
“Now, I’m enjoying playing alongside him, in training as well, in rondos. We are always together.
"So, I’m very happy and I’m trying to do things better every day, as Enzo said, to be a good example for everyone at the club."
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Alongside Conor Gallagher, Caicedo and Fernandez have formed a new-look midfield trio at Stamford Bridge - with previous stalwarts N'Golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic and Jorginho all having left in 2023.
