Chelsea’s PERFECT Caicedo alternative is transfer listed – and Poch ‘LOVES’ him
Robin Bairner
- 11 Aug 2023 08:13 BST
- 4 min read
Chelsea have missed out on their top summer transfer priority in the form of Brighton's Moises Caicedo, with the Ecuador midfielder slipping away to Liverpool in dramatic circumstances.
Brighton set up a late-night auction for the 21-year-old, in which the Blues were unwilling to match Liverpool's British record bid of €127 million (£110m).
It has left Mauricio Pochettino's side short of a central midfielder just hours before they kick off their Premier League campaign against the Reds on Sunday - a match at Stamford Bridge in which Caicedo may take to the pitch in the colours of their rivals, adding insult to injury.
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So what can Chelsea do about it?
With three weeks of the window left, there is time to negotiate new deals. Life could be simplified, however, with a move for a player already on the transfer list. This would allow the Blues the opportunity to pursue alternative targets or spend time clearing their deadwood. Yes, Romeo Lavia is an option, but his arrival was never dependent on Caicedo. That leaves another midfield slot to fill.
Step forward Marco Verratti: a player out of the picture at PSG but with proven top-class ability who could fill the void that Caicedo would leave.
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The Italy international isn’t, admittedly, of the profile that Chelsea owner Todd Boehly loves. At 30, the prime of his career is behind him, and any deal would be made with the medium term in mind.
But it makes sense. Despite a disappointing conclusion to the season, Verratti was rated as the best midfielder in Ligue 1 last season by data analytics experts SciSports, while he performs the same deep-lying playmaker function as Caicedo. At around €50 million, he is around 40% of the cost Liverpool will pay for the Ecuardor star.
Pochettino is a fan
On top of this, Mauricio Pochettino knows Verratti well from his time at PSG and has previously spoken highly of the player.
In 2021, he told Ligue 1’s official website: “He’s the best player. He won the Euros with Italy. And like a player he is amazing, we are not going to say anything new. But like a professional and like a man, I love him too.
“Yes, it is a player that has this capacity. How he keeps the ball, how he drives, the ball, dribbles, this capacity to make things easier when, for another player, it is difficult. He is amazing in this way.”
PSG boss Luis Enrique has made it clear that neither Verratti nor Neymar is in his plans this season as the exodus from Parc des Princes continues.
With Caicedo's transfer having broken down, Verratti moving to Chelsea makes sense for everyone.
