Chelsea are reportedly interested in signing Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo after his 2022 World Cup performances in Qatar.
The 21-year-old played every minute at the World Cup as Ecuador narrowly missed out on a place in the knockout rounds. The youngster’s rich vein of form at the recently concluded showpiece event in Qatar follows on from his strong performances for the Seagulls throughout the year.
According to Sky Sports, Chelsea are interested in Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo’s services but will face competition from Liverpool.
Caicedo joined Brighton from his hometown club Independiente del Valle for just £5m in January 2021. He joined Beerschot of the Belgium top flight on a season-long loan last year but was recalled in January due to a shortage of central midfielders at Brighton.
As the 21-year-old is under contract at the Amex Stadium until 2025, Brighton are relaxed about Caicedo’s situation and have no intention to sell him amidst links with Chelsea and Liverpool, the report adds.
Moises Caicedo to Chelsea—Top option for the Blues?
Chelsea could really do with freshening things up in midfield after a miserable start to the 2022/23 season, with Graham Potter’s side lying eighth in the table.
N’Golo Kante has become injury prone in recent years and has made only two league appearances this campaign. The diminutive France international is in the final year of his contract at Stamford Bridge and a renewal with Chelsea where he has won everything seems highly unlikely. In addition, Jorginho is also coming to the end of his contract and his future at the club remains up in the air.
Given Mateo Kovacic’s fitness troubles too, Graham Potter has to start planning for the future and bring in a quality young midfielder. Having signed Moises Caicedo as the Brighton boss in 2021, Potter apparently wants to reunite with the player at Chelsea in 2023.
Caicedo is showing himself to be a promising young talent and looks perfectly capable of stepping up to play for one of England’s biggest clubs. Prior to his impressive performances at the World Cup, the 21-year-old had started all 14 of Brighton’s Premier League games this season, demonstrating how important he is for the Sussex-based outfit.
Predominantly a holding midfielder, the Ecuador international can also operate in a box-to-box role, so could provide Potter with a high-quality versatile option at Stamford Bridge for years to come. Due to his attributes and style of play, Caicedo could be the perfect long-term replacement for Kante.
At 21, he is yet to reach his full potential, so it’s scary to think how the midfielder could be performing in a few years’ time and around better-quality players. Potter knows the player in and out having coached him at Brighton, so he may be the right manager to help Caicedo realise his full potential.
All in all, it would certainly be a sensational move from Chelsea if they pull off Caicedo’s deal, but convincing Brighton to part ways with the midfielder in the middle of the season won’t be easy.
