Why Caicedo is Chelsea's MOST important signing since N'Golo Kante

Cameron Smith

• Updated: 14 Aug 2023 18:40 BST
• 5 min read

Chelsea have seemingly had one main mission this summer - to sign Moises Caicedo - and they’ve finally achieved their goal

Weeks of negotiations have seen Chelsea finally strike a deal worth a British transfer record of £115 million including add-ons for the Brighton midfielder, hijacking Liverpool's approach for the 21-year-old.

Jurgen Klopp's side thought they had beat Chelsea to the punch for Caicedo by agreeing a £110m deal with Brighton, however the Blues had a final trick up their sleeve, with the Ecuadorian preferring a move to Stamford Bridge.

MORE: Premier League 2023/24 summer transfers: All the Done Deals

Such a vast outlay raises outlay for a side that has spent more than £800m in the past year, breaking the British transfer record twice in the process, but the player appears to justify the hype in the eyes of the Premier League elite.

Caicedo was the west London club’s main target in the middle of the park and, having agreed personal terms in June, Mauricio Pochettino was desperate to seal a deal for one of the standout young midfielders in the country, along with Romeo Lavia, who is set to join from Southampton.

With Jorginho, Mateo Kovacic, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, N’Golo Kante and Mason Mount all leaving since the start of 2023, Chelsea’s midfield has been decimated by sales, leaving Pochettino fairly thin in this position - which is why Caicedo is so crucial.

MORE: How Chelsea will line up with Moises Caicedo

Andrey Santos, the Brazilian youngster signed from Vasco da Gama, could play a key role next season, while Carney Chukwuemeka and Cesare Casadei both impressed in pre-season and may be handed significant game time if they aren’t sent out on loan.

However, Caicedo is a necessity at Chelsea and could be the club’s most important signing since N’Golo Kante in 2016.

Why Caicedo is so important for Chelsea

The first reason is simply due to the aforementioned options in Chelsea’s midfield and the sales they’ve made. From possessing the most bloated squad in world football last season, the Blues now have very limited options in central midfield and most have very limited first-team experience.

Caicedo isn’t a vast upgrade in the experience regard - he has just 101 senior appearances to his name and only 45 of those have come in the Premier League - but he is a proven commodity.

Chelsea’s lack of depth in midfield means the Blues may well just pay Brighton’s asking price in order to ensure Caicedo comes through the door.

In addition, the Ecuadorian is one of the best young midfielders in world football. He possesses immense press-resistance, likely a result of brilliant coaching from Roberto De Zerbi, while his ability to play at all angles is well beyond his years.

Even when being pressed Caicedo is able to shift his body to evade pressure and he is always so relaxed, which means he isn’t often flustered even when facing his own goal.

His first touch is almost always perfect, allowing him to pivot on the ball and execute the next phase of play brilliantly. Caicedo is a key reason why De Zerbi’s Brighton were able to orchestrate their own transitions last season, via baiting the press and springing into a self-made counter-attack.

Caicedo’s defensive contribution is also a huge upside for Chelsea if they land him and his reading of the game combined with his springy athleticism means he made 1.60 interceptions per 90 last season - no Chelsea player with over 100 minutes in the Premier League made more.

Furthermore, according to SciSports, FootballTransfers’ statistical partner, Caicedo has a potential SciSkill rating of 129.2. If he joins Chelsea, he would immediately become the player with the highest potential rating in their squad; at current, Levi Colwill has the most potential in the Chelsea squad with a SciSkill potential rating of 123.4.

Another key reason why Caicedo is absolutely vital for Chelsea isn’t actually about him - it’s what his arrival would mean for Enzo Fernandez.

Enzo's stellar performances at the 2022 World Cup convinced Chelsea to make him the most expensive signing by an English club in January, spending £106.8m to sign him, despite the fact he only arrived from Benfica for less than £15m six months prior.

Fernandez is a superb footballer, but it was a huge investment from Chelsea and he’s not yet been deployed in a role that extracts the best of his qualities. Although he is capable of playing as a lone number six, Fernandez is severely restricted in this position.

His best football at Benfica came with the protection of Florentino Luis behind him, with Enzo able to advance into attacking areas to display his array of passing and world-class vision.

Glimpses of this ability has been shown at Chelsea - see his assists for Joao Felix against West Ham and Kai Havertz against Leicester - but his final-third effectiveness has been hidden by the role he’s been forced to play at Stamford Bridge.

Luis’ presence next to Enzo at Benfica also lessened the defensive pressure on the Argentine, which has proven a problem at Stamford Bridge already.

Enzo is an aggressive, active defender, which means he lacks the discipline needed to play at the base of midfield. Furthermore, he isn’t very quick, which means he can be quite easy to bypass - Caicedo’s elite athleticism would mask all of these problems.

Signing Caicedo was a must for Chelsea; firstly because he is a brilliant defensive midfielder with unbelievable press-resistance, but secondly because he would free up Enzo Fernandez and allow Chelsea to bring out the best of their Argentine star.