Chelsea are targeting a marquee midfield signing to bolster their flagging fortunes this season, and could soon make a move for Brighton & Hove Albion's Ecuadorian midfielder Moises Caicedo.
Caicedo has emerged as a key component to the Seagulls' soaring success in the Premier League, and has consequently been touted with a move to one of the division's giants, with Chelsea indeed among the suitors, as per transfer guru Fabrizio Romano.
CBS Sports reporter Ben Jacobs took to Twitter to discuss the likelihood of a transfer, stating that Albion would be more inclined to grant Caicedo's departure than touted teammate Alexis Mac Allister, with £70m the latest figure put forth for him to part ways with the South Coast outfit.
And speaking to GIVEMESPORT this week, Jacobs stated that:
"Chelsea are looking at Caicedo, and we know that Graham Potter knows the player very well, so that’s one to watch. I think him more so in this window than Alexis Mac Allister, who Brighton really want to hang on to.
“It’s definitely a player to keep an eye on, more so from the Chelsea perspective than the Liverpool perspective at this point.”
With speculation mounting over the 21-year-old's signature, Blues boss Graham Potter would be wise to lodge an official bid for his services quickly, landing one of English football's most talented and exciting prospects.
He's Kante 2.0
Since arriving in Brighton in early 2021 for just £4.5m from homeland team Independiente del Valle, Caicedo has forged 29 competitive displays, plundering two goals and three assists from his industrious midfield role.
And this season, the 28-cap ace has made 19 appearances for the high-flying side, scoring one goal and one assist, growing into his cemented starting berth and captivating with the robust, all-encompassing nature of his game that belies his tender age and inexperience within the relentless pace of the Premier League.
As per Sofascore, the "future leader" - as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig - has recorded an impressive average rating in the league of 7.11 this term, completing 88% of his passes, making 1.1 key passes per match and making a stunning 2.9 tackles and 1.4 interceptions from the centre, illustrating his ubiquitous presence and tenacity in recycling possession and assuredly instigating forward manoeuvres.
Should he sign for Chelsea, Potter would yield a star that could take the baton from esteemed maestro N'Golo Kante, who has been one of the game's standout stars since his emergence to prominence.
Kante has made 262 appearances for Chelsea since his reported £30m arrival from Leicester City in 2016, scoring 13 goals and registering 15 assists.
The 31-year-old is an embodiment of the dogged, omnipresent force that can leave opponents lamenting the supreme work-rate and intensity that can prove the difference in the quest for major silverware, as evidenced by his World Cup, Champions League, and two Premier League triumphs, and Caicedo indeed bears similarities in this regard.
As per WhoScored, the French engine boasts a career passing accuracy of 85.9%, also making a spectacular 3.0 tackle and 2.3 interceptions per outing - a further illustration of the semblance between the pair.
Meanwhile, Caicedo has actually been described as "a cross between Kanté and Pogba" by Ecuadorian football historian Enrico Castro-Monte (via Sport Witness).
South American football expert Tim Vickery once dubbed Caicedo a "terrific athlete", which is exactly what Chelsea need to stabilise the ship and pave a successful future under new owner Todd Boehly; it's a no-brainer really, the Blues' technical director Christopher Vivell must bring him to Stamford Bridge this year.