When you normally discuss battles between football clubs, it is normally on the pitch that you are likely to be referencing. In the case of Moisés Caicedo, however, there brewed a battle between Chelsea and Liverpool as both clubs were looking to secure his services from Brighton & Hove Albion. In the end, Chelsea won, agreeing to pay a free believed to be £100 million with £15 million more in add-ons, making it a British record transfer fee at the time as it surpassed the £106.8 million the Blues had paid for Enzo Fernández. He signed an eight-year deal with the option of one more year, making his debut against West Ham United.
Who is Moisés Caicedo?
Moisés Isaac Caicedo Corozo was born in the Ecuadorian city of Santo Domingo de los Colorados on the second of November 2001. One of ten siblings, he began playing football on the scrublands of the Mujer Trabajadora neighbourhood. When he was a child he was seen by football coach Iván Guerra, who knew that was a talent and helped the player and his family by paying for football boots, as well as food and travel expenses as he trained. A quiet boy with a sensitive nature, he was nicknamed Niño Moi, or ‘my boy’, by his teammates. His first organised football match came at Mujer Trabajadora’s soccer school.
Becoming a Footballer
Caicedo was taken to the soccer school at Mujer Trabajadora by Guerra, playing there from the age of five until he was 12. He eventually earned a call up to the regional select XI, playing as a forward during his formative years before dropping back into the midfield. When he was 13 he joined Colorados Jaipadida, which was a local side with an affiliation to the professional club ESPOLI. When he played well for the local team he was invited to join the Quito-based team to train, but when the senior club was relegated the tie with Colorados Jaipadida ended up being severed, meaning that Caicedo lacked a pathway to the professional game.
The result of this was that the Director of Colorados Jaipadida arranged a trial with the professional side Mushuc Runa, but when he was unable to pay for his food or board the trial was ended. In 2016 one of Caicedo’s brothers took him to the Ecuadorian Serie A side Independiente del Valle for trials. He did we’ll, being signed up by the club. A few months later he suffered a cruciate ligament injury in his knee which ruled him out for ten months and required several surgeries. He recovered and began playing for the Under-18s, catching the eye of Yuri Solano, who said his ‘athleticism set him apart from the rest’.
Singing for Brighton
Caicedo was made the captain of the Independiente del Valle’s youth side, with whom he won the Copa Mitad del Mundo title. This allowed him to make his way into the Independiente del Valle senior side, with the manager believing that he was the ‘best player in the squad’ from the first day. He was so important to the team that he was flown back form the Under-20s Copa Libertadores to play for his club side in a Serie A match against L.D.U. Quito before being flown back out to continue playing in the Copa Libertadores final. The team he was playing for won both matches, showing his importance to the side.
Although a midfielder, he was sometimes deployed as a centre-back, which helped him to develop his game as a defensive midfielder. He was also used as a box-to-box player, earning him acclaim from across the continent and catching the eye of Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion. On the first of February 2021, Caicedo was signed by the Seagulls on a four-and-a-half-year deal for an undisclosed fee. His first appearance for his new club came in their 1-0 loss to Leicester City in the FA Cup when he was an unused substitute. He debut came in the second round of the League Cup, setting up a goal in a 2-0 win over Cardiff City.
Making a Name for Himself
At the close of the transfer window in 2021 Caicedo was sent on loan to the Belgian top-flight side Beerschot, where he impressed. At the start of the following year, however, Brighton had a shortage of midfield options and so the loan was cut short. He made the bench against Brighton’s bitter rivals Crystal Palace, then came on as a substitute in the FA Cup when the Seagulls lost to Tottenham Hotspur before getting his Premier League debut when he started and got an assist in a 2-1 win over Arsenal. His first goal for the club game in a 4-0 win over Manchester United at the start of May, beginning to catch people’s eye.
Unsurprisingly, the player had begun to capture the attention of other clubs in the Premier League and at the end of January 2023 he attracted interest from Arsenal, who were top of the league at the time. He released an open letter on his Instagram page stating his desire to leave the club, but Brighton rejected two offers from the Gunners that were believed to be worth in the region of £70 million. The 21-year-old was under contract until 2025, with the Seagulls telling him to rest until the close of the transfer window, returning to training at the start of February and almost immediately returning to action for Roberto De Zerbi’s side.
Signing for Chelsea
On the third of March 2023, Caicedo signed a new contract with Brighton & Hove Albion that was believed to take him to 2027 with the club and have an option for another year. He won both the Player of the Season and the Players’ Player awards at the club’s end of season party, saying that he would give them to his mother and father, who were his ‘inspiration’. In the summer transfer window, however, news emerged that Brighton had rejected an £80 million bid from Chelsea. On the tenth of August, news emerged that Jürgen Klopp’s Liverpool had agreed a £111 million fee for the player, but that he wanted to play for Chelsea.
Mauricio Pochettino has finally got his man ✅
Chelsea have agreed a deal worth £115m with Brighton to sign Moises Caicedo 💰#BBCFootball pic.twitter.com/gc27GPsuPE
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) August 13, 2023
The Blues upped their offer for the player to £115 million, including add-ons, which eventually saw him join the Stamford Bridge club on the 14th of August 2023. The Chelsea owner, Todd Boehly, had discovered a way of avoiding Financial Fair Play issues by signing players to long-term contracts, thereby allowing their fee to be amortised over several years. As a result the deal was for eight-years with another year option. The player made his debut for Chelsea on the 20th of August, giving away a penalty in a 3-1 defeat. His first goal came in a 2-1 win over Bournemouth on the final day of the 2023-2024 season with a shot from 50 yards.
Style of Play
Moises Caicedo is seen as something of a destructive player, making a name for himself on the righthand side of Brighton & Hove Albion’s midfield. He took up the same position for Chelsea, playing the holding role for the club and using his attributes as a defensive-minded player. Although he has scored and can get forward, he is much more minded to play with a defensive role. An energetic player, he can engage in box-to-box play that allow his team to enjoy counter-attacks against the opposition.
Caicedo is known for his distribution, being considered to be a reliable passer of the ball. During the 2023-2024 Premier League campaign, for example, he boasted a pass completion rate of 90.9%. Both the nature of his position and his style of play means that he can be guilty of being too aggressive at times, liable to pick up bookings and sendings-off.