A Native Citizen of Ecuador Moises Caicedo became the British record signing for Chelsea after the London club paid a sum of £115 million to bring the player to Stamford Bridge.
The transfer fee paid for Caicedo exceeded Arsenal’s £105 million payment to West Ham United for Declan Rice this summer.
Before he left Brighton for Chelsea, there was a bidding war between Chelsea and Liverpool for the defensive midfield.
How Did The Home Boy From Ecuador Became The British Record Signing For Chelsea?
While he was a boy, a video went viral showing midfielder Caicedo jogging the ball. He started his career as a player for a football club, Caicedos FC, filled with extended family.
He helped Caicedos FC win a major trophy after scoring the only goal in the final of the match. His exceptional ability and strength to stop any attack made him wow the spectators, who hadn’t seen a very creative player like him.
While he was at Caicedos FC, his motive had always been to play in the defensive midfield, although he started as a striker before moving to the midfield.
His goals in life include giving all his family members big cars and big houses and making them better.
At the age of 13, Caicedo moved to Ecuador’s Serie A to join Independiente Del Valle for a trial, which he passed successfully.
In 2017, he suffered extreme injuries that kept him out of football matches for the Ecuadorian side. The midfielder was not ready to relent on his purpose and came back after 10 months of injury.
In 2019, the midfielder captained the Independiente del Valle youth team to a title. However, he made his first team appearance for Independiente del Valle on October 1, 2019.
The manager of the team in 2019, Angel Ramirez, claimed Caicedo was the best player in the squad when he made his debut.
The player drew the attention of European clubs after he scored for Independiente del Valle in a 5-0 win against Brazilian club Flamengo in 2020.
Moises Caicedo Tenure At Brighton After His Impressive Season At Independiente del Valle
On February 1, 2021, the midfielder joined Brighton on a four-and-a-half-year deal for an undisclosed fee. Nine days later, the midfielder was an unused substitute when Brighton lost to Leicester City 1-0.
On August 24, 2021, Caicedo made his first debut for Brighton against Cardiff City, where he created an assist for the second goal of the match.
The midfielder was loaned to Beerschot on August 31, 2021, on the deadline day of the transfer window. He scored his first goal in his ninth appearance for the Belgian side.
After Brighton struggled to get enough players in the midfield, the midfielder was called back from loan on January 12, 2022.
He made his first appearance upon returning on loan against Tottenham Hotspur in the 5th round of the FA Cup on February 5, 2023.
However, Upon his return, he made his first Premier League appearance in a 2-1 win against Arsenal.
The midfielder scored his first goal against Manchester United with a 25-yard strike in the 15th minute.
It was reported that while Moises Caicedo was in Ecuador, the midfielder got interest from Manchester United, but the then CEO of United, Ed Woodward refused to pay £4 million for the midfielder.
On January 20, 2023, the midfielder got an offer from Arsenal. After that, he went ahead and wrote an open letter to Brighton, showing his intentions of leaving the club.
It was reported later that Brighton rejected a £70 million bid for the midfielder from Arsenal. After that, he signed a new contract with Brighton, which ends in 2027.
At the end of the season awards, the midfielder won Player of the Season and Player’s Player of the Year at the club.
On June 27, 2023, it was confirmed that Brighton rejected an £80 million offer from Chelsea to sign the midfielder. However, a few months later, it was reported that Chelsea paid £115 million to sign the player which Brighton accepted.
How Graham Potter and Roberto De Zerbi Made Effective Use of Moises Caicedo
Due to his aggression and agility, Potter used the Ecuadorian in No. 8. Upon the arrival of De Zerbi, the midfielder was moved to the deep area of the midfield.
Moises Caicedo Strength And Weaknesses
The midfielder has the ability to hold the ball for a long time. His aerial duels are second-to-none in the Premier League.
The Defensive midfielder had made Mac Allister effective in the attack. His tackling abilities are superb.
He is magnificent at covering a large portion of the pitch. He often moves to the right side of the midfield when Pervis Estupinán moves forward.
His defensive abilities are exceptional, with only Joao Palhinha making more tackles than the midfielder and Declan Rice making more interceptions than the midfielder.
Another strength of Moises Caicedo is his ability to regain possession regularly. Indeed, the midfielder doesn’t have any weaknesses on the pitch, at least for now.
