Chelsea is expected to enter the transfer market in search of a suitable replacement. As rumors of N’Golo Kante’s potential high-value transfer to Saudi Arabia gain momentum. Despite starting in only six games for the Blues last season. Kante’s absence played a role in their disappointing campaign, culminating in a 12th-place finish in the Premier League.
Chelsea now faces the task of finding a player with similar attributes to Kante, who, over his eight seasons in the Premier League. Has made the role of holding midfield captivating once again.
Chelsea is intensifying their efforts to secure the signing of Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Moises Caicedo. As reported by Football Transfers. The Blues are reportedly pushing hard to beat their London rivals, Arsenal, in the pursuit of the talented midfielder.
According to the report, Arsenal’s hesitation in meeting Brighton’s £70 million valuation for Caicedo might provide Chelsea with an opportunity to swoop in and secure the midfielder’s signature. Reminiscent of their successful January acquisition of Mykhailo Mudryk.
Chelsea and Caicedo in the midfield
The interest from Chelsea and Arsenal in Moises Caicedo has been long-standing. The 21-year-old midfielder had submitted a transfer request at Brighton in January. Hoping to secure a move elsewhere. However, he later decided to backtrack and signed a new contract with the club.
Brighton now holds a stronger position in negotiations, especially after recently generating up to £55 million from the sale of Alexis Mac Allister to Liverpool.
Considering the current market, for Chelsea £70 million price tag for Caicedo appears to be reasonable for a player who has consistently shown promise since his early years. Prior to his move to Brighton, South American football expert Tim Vickery accurately described Caicedo as a “terrific player” with great potential for further improvement.
Caicedo outperforms Kante in various passing categories, including short passes completed (92.5% compared to Kante’s 90.6%). Medium passes (90.5% compared to 88.2%), and long passes (79.2% compared to 70.5%). Whether it’s short-range or long-range passes, Caicedo excels and ranks among the best.
While there are similarities and differences between Caicedo and Kante. The young midfielder represents the newer breed of versatile midfielders who can excel in various aspects of the game.
In fact, when considering his statistical profile, FBref ranks Declan Rice as the player most similar to Caicedo. Last season, both players showcased similar pass completion rates per 90 minutes (86.5% for Rice and 88.5% for Caicedo) and were involved in generating scoring opportunities (2.75 shot-creating actions for Rice and 2.52 for Caicedo). Additionally, they both won 37 aerial duels.
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