Why would Chelsea want to sign Moises Caicedo?

One of the worst kept secrets of the summer has been Chelsea's admiration for Moises Caicedo.

Todd Boehly has splashed eye-watering wads of cash on players in recent windows as if it's pocket change but is now trying to drive a hard bargain for the Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder.

Chelsea's scattergun approach to signings since their new owner's arrival has left them in a mess - a mess that Mauricio Pochettino has to clean up. Caicedo is his top priority this summer as he looks to reinforce an area of the pitch in which the Blues have lost so many players.

However, a deal will be complicated. It has been a long and largely frustrating process so far from a Chelsea standpoint, but the Blues are insistent that Caicedo is the man they want.

Let's take a look at why Chelsea are so desperate to sign Brighton's prized asset,

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What can Moises Caicedo bring to Chelsea?

Now that N'Golo Kante has officially departed, Chelsea see Caicedo as the Frenchman's heir. A traditional defensive midfielder, the South American is incredibly persistent out of possession, working tirelessly to win the ball back by snapping into tackles and intelligently reading play. He really can be a fantastic Kante replacement for the Blues.

His defensive awareness is top-notch, something exemplified by the 4.47 combined tackles and interceptions he averaged in the Premier League per 90 last season. This put him in the top 10% for this metric among the league's midfielders, while he also sat in that same percentile for dribblers tackled per 90.

Caicedo's ability to sniff out danger and stop it at source made him an incredibly important cog in De Zerbi's pressing machine. Given that Chelsea's Fernandez is a more stationary midfielder, generally preferring the ball at his feet, Caicedo would be comfortable hoovering up around him. While Fernandez was definitely one of the Blues' best performers last year, the influence of Caicedo and Pochettino could take his game to a new level at Stamford Bridge.

But Caicedo is not just a destroyer, he offers so much more than that. While not capable of providing an abundance of goals and assists, albeit he doesn't need to, he still contributes effectively in an attacking sense. His press resistance, burst of pace and ability to pick out teammates makes him someone who can start attacks as well as break them up.

He boasted an 88.5% passing accuracy in the Premier League last season, particularly excelling in short and long balls. His 5.19 passes into the final third and 6.28 progressive passes per 90 show that he is not afraid to move the ball vertically up the pitch and take risks in possession when necessary.

Chelsea really lacked a player with energy in midfield to protect the back four last season. If Pochettino is to play his favoured 4-2-3-1 formation, then Fernandez's partner needs to be someone capable of covering ground, sweeping up opposition attacks and breaking up play.

Caicedo ticks all those boxes, and given he is just 21 years old, he will only get better.

The details of Moises Caicedo to Chelsea

Brighton have already rejected two official proposals, the most recent of which was an £80m offer from the Blues, and are sticking firm to their £100m valuation of Caicedo.

Having seen Chelsea sign Fernandez for £106m and Arsenal acquire Declan Rice for £105m, Brighton have no intentions of lowering their asking price, nor should they. Despite having admitted that Caicedo could leave the club this summer, Roberto De Zerbi would be more than happy if the 21-year-old stayed on the south coast.

While Caicedo is keen on a move to Stamford Bridge and personal terms will not be an issue, Brighton do not need to sell him this summer.

Chelsea will simply have to up their offer for the central midfielder as Pochettino looks for his perfect Fernandez partner, and the Blues have shown no signs of giving up their pursuit so far.

On this week's edition of Talking Transfers, part of the 90min podcast network, Toby Cudworth is joined by Graeme Bailey to discuss the next steps in Bayern Munich's Harry Kane hunt, Brighton rejecting another Chelsea bid for Moises Caicedo, who has had the most impressive transfer window so far & more!

If you can't see this embed, click here to listen to the podcast!