In Moises Caicedo, Graham Potter has already identified the ideal replacement for N’Golo Kante at Chelsea before the January transfer window even opens. The 20-year-old midfielder’s departure from Brighton & Hove Albion was strongly rumored to happen this summer after a standout campaign at the Amex Stadium the previous year.
Caicedo, whose deal on the south coast expires in 2025, played for Potter’s previous team eight times in the Premier League and personally assisted in two goals. Despite just making one appearance for the Seagulls in the latter stages of the season, he made an impression and left his imprint against Manchester United with a long-range shot.
The Ecuadorian international, who is apparently courting Arsenal and Liverpool’s interest, is still a key member of Brighton’s squad. Caicedo has been compared to Kante, but Chelsea has been informed of the reasons why the midfielder would be a better choice for Stamford Bridge, particularly given his prior association with Potter.
Tim Vickery stated that Caicedo would be a “great signing” on the talkSPORT Hawksbee and Jacobs show in January 2021. The specialist from South America stated: “I love them a lot.
“And many of the kids from South America that Europeans are now interested in are being purchased on promise. This guy has merely accepted everything as it comes because he is already a reality.
“He recently advanced to a respectable first team in Ecuador and to international football with the soaring Ecuador national team. He is an all-around player and the first player born in the twenty-first century to score in South American World Cup qualification.”
Vickery continued: “He mentioned Chelsea’s Kante as his role model, but Kante is already more than that. He is similar to the second man on that line of two in a 4-2-3-1, for example, and can both attack and defend.
“He appears to possess everything, has excellent timing for his runs, and is calm when in possession. He is, in my opinion, a fantastic signing.”
If Chelsea decides to express interest in the talented midfielder, Potter might have already hurt himself and Chelsea. Caicedo’s price tag was recently raised by the former Brighton manager to £100 million.
Potter was questioned about a £42 million offer for Caicedo in the closing days of the window. He stated: “The chairman would definitely give you his boots for that, maybe! £100m? The can attempt.
“Given how well he is playing, I am not surprised that people are staring at him. As soon as you do any research on him, you discover that he is a fantastic young man, a great person, playing in the Premier League, and with all the necessary skills to compete at the best level possible.”
