Chelsea have made just four signings so far this summer as Mauricio Pochettino was trusted with overseeing a major revamp of the squad, which has led him to move on 13 players already.
With the deadwood cleared, the onus is now to add a few more quality players to his squad and a move for Moises Caicedo is still ongoing.
Will Chelsea sign Moises Caicedo?
Fabrizio Romano has given a recent update on Chelsea’s pursuit of the in-demand Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder.
He tweeted: “Chelsea have not left the negotiations for Moisés Caicedo, despite reports on Thursday. Deal on, as of today.
“Brighton remain on their stance after £80m bid revealed and turned down yesterday. But it didn’t change Chelsea plans.
“Chelsea keep contacts/talks alive.”
It’s clear the south coast side want more than £80m for their star player and Pochettino will need to increase his bid soon for the £60k-per-week maestro if they wish to sign him before the Premier League campaign begins.
How good is Moises Caicedo?
The Stamford Bridge side have lost N’Golo Kante, Mason Mount, Mateo Kovacic and Ruben Loftus-Cheek during the transfer window as Pochettino cleared out the midfield.
This suggests there is plenty of space for Caicedo to arrive and command a first-team spot, and it could be bad news for Conor Gallagher, with the Ecuadorian clearly a big upgrade on the Chelsea gem.
The 21-year-old registered a higher pass completion percentage domestically last term (88.5% to 81.1%), won more tackles (58 to 38), succeeded with a higher percentage of take-ons (51.9% to 42.6%) and made more progressive passes (219 to 105).
Not only does this suggest Caicedo is much better at circulating the ball, but he is also a key attacking outlet when required, making forward passes and enjoying success when taking on opposition players.
Defensively, Caicedo is also a big upgrade, ranking in the top 13% compared to positional peers for tackles per 90 (2.87) and the top 11% for interceptions per 90 (1.61), showcasing his tenacious nature and ability to win the ball back often during matches.
In contrast, Gallagher ranks in the top 23% for tackles (2.58) and the top 28% for interceptions (1.31) per 90, indicating that he isn’t quite at the same level as the Brighton starlet.
Having enjoyed a wonderful season on loan at Crystal Palace during 2021/22, in which he netted eight league goals, the Epsom native arrived back at Stamford Bridge with a point to prove.
Despite flashes of talent, Gallagher ranked a lowly 21st for overall Sofascore match rating and finished outwith the top ten for accurate passes per game (19.5) and key passes per game (0.6), clearly indicating that he hasn’t quite made the step-up many expected.
Hailed as a “crown jewel of a new generation” by historian Enrico Castro-Montes, the Caicedo, by contrast, ranked in the top six across the Brighton squad for overall match rating, accurate passes per game (53) and key passes per game (1.2), clearly surpassing the numbers Gallagher achieved for Chelsea.
Although he may break the bank, Caicedo could well be Pochettino’s most important signing this summer, especially given the glaring need for further midfield reinforcements in west London.