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Chelsea ace Moises Caicedo has opened up on how being touted as the new N'Golo Kante cost him a good start to life at the club. The Ecuadorian midfielder moved to Stamford Bridge from Brighton & Hove Albion in the summer of 2023 after a lengthy transfer saga.
Somewhere on England's South Coast, the country's elite football clubs began to take notice of the young midfielder who had made the move from Ecuador a few months prior.
Caicedo, 21 at the time, was soon the toast of most of the big six clubs in England, birthing a transfer saga that began in January 2023. He handed in a transfer request at Brighton in the hope of forcing a move to Arsenal, but the move never materialized.
Moises Caicedo ended up signing for Chelsea in the summer after drawn-out negotiations between both clubs which almost saw Liverpool swoop in to sign him. The youngster set the Blues back a reported tidy sum of £115 million, a Premier League record fee, for his services.
The price tag, coupled with the fact that cult hero N'Golo Kante left the club in the same summer, meant the young midfielder was immediately under pressure to perform.
Caicedo spoke with Ole about how the pressure of playing for the Blues got to him and caused him to have a turbulent first few months at Stamford Bridge. He pointed out that his price tag, as well as the expectations of him, contributed to his struggles.
The midfielder said:
“When you come to a big club, at first, the pressure is different here, first, you have to adapt to all your teammates and to what the coach wants. Being the most expensive player in the Premier League. There were many things that cost me because I was under the pressure of being the new N'Golo Kanté. That affected me a lot, but when I left that behind, I began to focus only on helping my team and showing that I am worth what they paid for my transfer.”
This season, Moises Caicedo has arguably been the most important player for Chelsea and one of the first names on their team sheet. Head coach Enzo Maresca has used the 23-year-old in a number of positions, including at right-back, indicating his versatility.
Caicedo has appeared in every one of the Blues' 14 games in the Premier League this season, scoring once and assisting two goals. The midfielder has also captained the club on occasion, indicating how far he has come following a rough start to life at Stamford Bridge.
Pundit hails Caicedo for work in Chelsea midfield
ESPN pundit Craig Burley has praised Chelsea star Moises Caicedo for the work he puts in for his side in midfield. The 23-year-old has been a mainstay in the Blues squad this season and has continued to own his mammoth price tag.
Burley spoke in the aftermath of Enzo Maresca's side claiming a dominant 5-1 win over Southampton away from home. The pundit told ESPN that Caicedo does an "amazing" job off the ball and is impossible to escape in midfield. He said:
“The legs Chelsea have got in midfield, the ability to win the ball back and tackle, the same as Liverpool, is pretty scary. The job Caicedo does off the ball is amazing. He’s like a leech. You can’t get away from him. He gets these tackles in where you think, ‘How has he done that?’.”
Caicedo was, once again, one of the Blues' top performers in the win over Southampton, which took them to second. He completed 94% of his passes, created three chances, made four recoveries, won a tackle, and won two duels.
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Edited by Ritwik Kumar