Chelsea is reportedly hoping that a bid of “£70 million plus £10 million” will be sufficient to land Moises Caicedo, but according to transfers specialist Fabrizio Romano, Brighton & Hove Albion “want more than that.”
What has changed regarding Moises Caicedo in the Chelsea transfer news?
The Blues have found themselves with greater financial flexibility than many anticipated they would this summer, in large measure due to the reckless spending of the developing Saudi Pro League.
A number of Blues first-team players have decided to join the Middle Eastern league’s new endeavor after going on a shopping frenzy throughout Europe. It appears that West London has caught their attention in particular as a result.
With the money raised from those deals, the club was able to sign new players including Nicolas Jackson, who joined from Villarreal for £30.1 million, and teenager Kendry Paez, who joined for £17.27 million but won’t be moving to London until he turns 18 in 2025.
Caicedo, an Ecuadorian superstar who plays for Brighton, appears to be the current focus of the seniors, though.
There have been ongoing discussions between the teams, and Caicedo himself is interested in making the switch, but according to Fabrizio Romano, the only thing holding up the transaction is the disparity in price between the Blues and Seagulls.
On his YouTube channel, he gave a situational explanation and stated:
Chelsea and Caicedo have already reached a close agreement on their personal terms, so the focus is now just on Chelsea and Brighton. I can confirm that the two clubs have spoken on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and today, Monday. As a result, Chelsea and Brighton are in direct touch and working together to find a price solution.
“We may infer that Chelsea hopes to close the deal for roughly £70 million + £10 million (add-ons), or £80 million. Brighton wants more than this, but the conversation is direct and the negotiation is still going on. Let’s wait and see, but this agreement is unquestionably still in.
Which player is superior, Enzo Fernandez or Moises Caicedo?
How does the Brighton player compare to the other defensive midfielders at Stamford Bridge given that the move is beginning to seem like a formality and that his primary position is defensive midfielder?
When comparing their individual seasons from the previous year, Enzo Fernandez has the advantage because he finished the year with a match rating average of 7.02 across his 43 appearances across all competitions.
The average match rating for “La Joya,” as he is known in Ecuador, was significantly lower at 6.88 over his 40 games in all competitions.
Another area where the World Cup winner excels is passing. According to FBref, he attempts 96 passes for every 90 that are attempted, completing 83.5 of them, giving him an 87% pass success rate.
Brighton’s “machine” on the other hand, has a marginally higher success rate at 88.5%, but as he only attempts 57.1 passes every 90, the 1.5% difference is insignificant in this situation.
However, it is on the defensive side of the game where the Ecuadorian international excels, making 2.87 tackles for every 90 attempted, winning 1.43 of them, compared to Enzo’s 1.35 successful tackles for every 90 attempted.
From a statistical and numerical standpoint, there might not be much in it, but Caicedo has gotten high marks from manager Roberto De Zerbi, who stated:
Caicedo is a good performer both on and off the ball. Many players excel when they have the ball, but they struggle in defensive situations when they don’t. Other defenders are among the best, although there are some issues when the ball is involved.
“I don’t see anything about Caicedo that isn’t at the top level. He has no bounds.
The Blues should find a way to satisfy Brighton’s demands if a minor valuation discrepancy is the only thing standing in the way of this deal’s completion. A midfield including Caicedo and Fernandez might be amazing.