Moises Caicedo is set to make the WRONG transfer decision
Cameron Smith
- 11 Aug 2023 10:24 BST
- 4 min read
Chelsea’s summer-long pursuit of Moises Caicedo looks set to end in crushing disappointment after Liverpool’s €127 million (£110m) bid for the Ecuadorian was accepted by Brighton & Hove Albion.
Jurgen Klopp’s side have spent much of the window chasing Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia, but following the Saints’ €58m (£50m) valuation and Chelsea’s recent €55m (£48m) bid, they quickly pinned their focus on Caicedo.
Brighton set a deadline of midnight on Thursday and outlined that the highest bidder would land Caicedo. Following Chelsea’s €116m (£100m) offer, the Seagulls agreed a deal with Liverpool due to their aforementioned British record bid.
MORE: Caicedo deal agreed! Romano reveals RECORD transfer offer ACCEPTED
They now face a race against time to register Caicedo to face Chelsea on Sunday, 13 August, but The Guardian’s Jacob Steinberg has reported that the Blues have not yet given up on signing the Ecuador international.
However, despite this, Caicedo is now set to travel to Merseyside to undergo his Liverpool medical ahead of his transfer from the south coast.
MORE: Chelsea’s PERFECT Caicedo alternative is transfer listed – and Poch ‘LOVES’ him
Which club is best for Caicedo?
Although the midfielder is on the verge of joining Liverpool, data analytics experts SciSports say that Chelsea is actually a better destination for him.
Using SciSports’ cutting-edge Career Advice tool, which takes into account a number of factors, including: potential development, playing time, playing style, formation and club status, Chelsea emerges as the best destination for Caicedo.
The Blues score an impressive 83/100 on SciSports’ Career Advice tool, with the data analytics website suggesting that he will be given regular game time at Stamford Bridge, as well as suiting Mauricio Pochettino’s 4-2-3-1 system perfectly.
Liverpool mostly use a 4-3-3 formation, with Caicedo set to be used in the Fabinho role at the base of midfield on his own. However, at Brighton he was deployed in a double pivot most of the time, alongside Billy Gilmour, Pascal Gross or Alexis Mac Allister.
Furthermore, in 2021-22, it was Yves Bissouma who played next to him.
Therefore, playing next to Enzo Fernandez in a double pivot at Chelsea would suit Caicedo perfectly, according to SciSports, and provides the main difference between his suitability at Chelsea and Liverpool.
The Reds actually rank as the second best destination for Caicedo, so a move to Anfield is certainly not a poor choice, but SciSports believe that joining Chelsea would be a better transfer for the player.
